By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – President Muhammadu Buhari has cancelled his planned five-day “casual leave’’ as a mark of respect for victims of Boko Haram attacks across the battlefields in the Northeast zone of the country.
According to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Buhari had planned to spend the casual leave at his country home, Daura, Katsina State from Nov. 27 to Dec. 2.
Recall that President Buhari had earlier cancelled his official trip to Benin City, Edo, where he was initially billed to inaugurate the Edo-Azura Power Plant and grace the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Conference.
It was gathered that the advanced teams of the president who left Abuja for Katsina and Benin on Sunday ahead of his arrival, had been asked to return.
The cancellation of the trips would also enable the president to continue his ongoing meetings and consultations with relevant security and intelligent community aimed at addressing the nation’s security challenges.
However, the president is expected to declare the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Conference, which was moved from Benin City to Maiduguri, Borno, on Nov. 28 at the Government House Conference Hall (CGH).
“The conference was earlier scheduled to take place from 26 -28 November 2018 in Benin, Edo State.
It was gathered that the shifting of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Conference from Benin City to Maiduguri might is not unconnected with the killing of Nigerian soldiers at Metele, a remote village bordering Nigeria and Chad.
President Buhari would use the opportunity of the COAS conference to address the Nigerian soldiers at the battlefields to further boost their morale.
Further recall that following the killing of the soldiers by Boko Haram, the president Buhari had on Sunday presided over a meeting of security chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, as part of the ongoing efforts to engage military and intelligence community towards addressing Boko Haram insurgency.
Also in his reaction to the killing of the soldiers while meeting with the Service Chiefs said that no responsible Commander-in-Chief will fold his hands and allow terrorists to endanger the lives of military personnel and other citizens”.
On 18 November, the Al Barnawi faction of Boko Haram attack the 157 Task Force Battalion based at Metele in northern part of Borno state, killing no fewer than 44 soldiers of Nigerian troops.
The military authorities are yet to give the specific number of casualties.
Buhari in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu in Abuja on Saturday reiterated his administration’s commitment to the security of military personnel and other citizens.
He, therefore, reassured Nigerians of his continued commitment to their security and of his efforts to sustain the momentum in the previous significant successes recorded against the terrorists.
The president, however, advised Nigerians against making a political capital out of the national tragedy, saying “members of the armed forces are one family, commonly committed to the security and safety of all Nigerians.’’
Sundiata Post recalls that the senate on Thursday suspended plenary in honour of the 44 slain soldiers and called on the senate committee on Defence to pay a condolence visit to the Chief of Army Staff over the killing of the Nigerian soldiers.