With Boko Haram still waxing strong in Adamawa and Borno States in particular, all eyes are now on the newly appointed service chiefs, especially the Adamawa-born Defence Chief, Air Marshall (AVM) Alex Badeh to see how he handles the insurgency.

President Jonathan particularly endorsed Badeh during his visit to Adamawa State, promising a tougher fight with the terrorists.

“He is somebody I have worked with before and I believe with him and other service chiefs definitely the security equation will change.  I believe that the tempo will change.  The police working with the armed forces, the excesses of Boko Haram will be reduced”, the President said.

President Jonathan statement, however, came as he paid a condolence visit to the Lamido Adamawa, Alhaji Barkindo Mustapha, following recent Boko Haram killings in the state.

The terrorists slaughtered an additional 85 innocent people, including worshippers and villagers in Adamawa and Borno on Sunday.

Among the dead were 18 Catholics at a morning Mass in a village called Waga Chakawa in Adamawa.

The assailants, according to eyewitnesses, had set off bombs and fired into the congregation in the church at about 10 am, before burning houses and taking residents hostage during a four-hour siege.

None of the taskforce teams was said to have responded to distress calls.

One of the witnesses, who preferred anonymity for fear of reprisals, said: “They (Boko Haram members) used explosives during the attack on worshippers and 18 people lost their lives.”

Another witness, who simply identified himself as Apogu, added: “I cannot actually say how many people were killed but I assure you that about 18 dead bodies were evacuated from the church.”

It was further confirmed that some houses were razed by the attackers who also took some men as hostage, while some were beaten and injured.

Conducting Governor Shettima round the burnt village, the secretary of the Konduga Local Government Area, Alhaji Ali Kaka Yale said that 83 people lost their lives while 2 more corpses were recovered today (Wednesday).

Governor Kashim Shettima while commiserating with the people of the area, donated money to each of the families of those who lost their lives and promised to re-build 5 mosques, houses and the market destroyed.

The Governor condemned in strong terms the level of killing and destruction, describing the action of the terrorists as anti Islamic, barbaric and callous, adding that government would do everything possible to alleviate the suffering of the victims.

He prayed for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives and called on the people to continue praying for the restoration of peace in the state and the country at large.

Comments

comments