METELE: ‘Unfortunate! Nigerian soldiers killed while service chiefs were attending APC event in Aso Rock’

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has described as a national embarrassment, the increase in attacks by the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on military facilities in the North-East.

This was even as the group called for the immediate sacking of the service chiefs, describing as unfortunate the attack on the Metele military base in Borno State by terrorists that allegedly left undisclosed number of Nigerian soldiers dead.

It regretted that the confrontation happened on the same day some service chiefs attended an event organised by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

This was contained in a statement by CUPP spokesman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, who argued that it was clear that the service chiefs were out of communication and beyond the reach of their subordinates and certainly could not give instructions and coordinate backup and air support for the troops who were left to die.

“From the attack in Jili in July where we reportedly lost over 200 soldiers to Zari in August, Mainok and Kekeno and now Metele, this is one attack too many.

“This is a national disgrace, especially with the loud mouthing of an outgoing regime which had claimed the group was degraded and technically defeated after alleged misappropriation of billions of dollars.

“CUPP is shocked also by the dishonourable silence of the Federal Government on the attacks which only became prominent on the social media after the terrorist group released very gory videos of some of these attacks.

“For President Buhari to only summon service chiefs for a briefing five days after such a calamity clearly shows the slow response time of this administration to national emergencies and the lack of capacity to meet up with the fast pace of developments which affect the lives of citizens.

“We hereby call on President Buhari to salvage the last vestiges of honour left for his regime by immediately sacking the service chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Comptroller General of Customs who have at one time or the other been found playing politics with their offices instead of doing their jobs with every sense of neutrality,” the statement read.

The CUPP spokesman went further to accuse heads of security agencies in Nigeria of being more interested in getting intelligence on the meetings of opposition leaders than on the activities of Boko Haram.

“The police and State Security Services are now more interested in hounding and intimidating opposition leaders and activists than they are in identifying and neutralising the activities of the terrorist group.

READ ALSO: 2019: APC, PDP banter, condemn Buhari, Atiku as unfit to be president

“Boko Haram is now allegedly expanding their territory even beyond the territories they held in 2014 before they were pushed back just before the 2015 general elections.

“The ugly report that the fallen Metele military camp is the last camp in the entire Northern District of Borno State raises a red flag and calls for concerted action to reverse it,” he added.

Ugochinyere said it was atrocious and sacrilegious that months after Buhari received $1 billion to fight Boko Haram, videos allegedly released by soldiers who survived the recent onslaught suggested that the soldiers were armed with obsolete weapons.

He said, “We don’t want to believe yet the allegations that security chiefs with the knowledge of their political masters have now turned this war into a source for raising campaign funds.

“The political ambition of the President and indeed any other person is not worth the lives of Nigerians. This ugly trend must stop and it must stop now”, the group stated.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now