In Borno, Buhari Admits No Commander-in-Chief Should Preside Over An Insecure Country

President Muhammadu Buhari has admitted that no commander-in-chief should preside over an insecure nation.

Buhari acknowledged this on Wednesday during his visit to Maiduguri, Borno State, over a recent attack by Boko Haram insurgents.

The insurgents had killed no fewer than 20 travelers who were said to have been stranded at a military checkpoint in Auno, near Maiduguri, on Monday.

The president headed straight to the northeastern state while returning from Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, where he had participated in the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU).

Buhari paid a condolence visit to the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar El-Kanemi, where he sought the cooperation of residents in his administration’s counter insurgency efforts

He said, “Boko Haram, or whatever they are, cannot come up to Maiduguri or its environs without the local leadership knowing; traditionally, the local leadership is in charge of security in their own respective areas.

“With my understanding of our culture, I wonder how Boko Haram survives up to this end.

“As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I campaigned in 2015 and last year on three fundamental issues which include security – you cannot preside over an institution or a country if it is not secured.

“This is just common sense, everybody knows this, even those that have not gone to school knows this.

“On the issue of economy, the Nigerian youths are over 60 per cent of our population with many of them below 30-years. We have to remind them that they must help us to stabilise the country so that they can have a better future.

“If they do not cooperate with government; they are endangering their future; I am already 77 now, how many years do I expect under a normal circumstances?”

He said his administration remained committed to working with the security agencies to enhance security, protect lives and property in the country.

“We are working for you in this country; as Commander-in-Chief, I am dealing with the security institutions and I believe there is improvement in security.

“I urge the people of the state to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies; let us deny Boko Haram access to our loyal citizens and encourage displaced people to go back to their land,” he said.

Buhari said he was visiting the state to commiserate with those who lost loved ones in the Auno attack.