•Borno govt sends 50 orphan girls to school
By Philip Nwosu and Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
The Nigerian military has declared there is no going back on President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to end insurgency in the North east by December.
Acting Director of Defence Information, Colonel Rabe Abubakar, who made this pronouncement during his visit to the corporate headquarters of The Sun Publishing Limited in Lagos said all military command headquarters are now located in the North East and are working towards finally routing the insurgents.
“We are working round the clock. The essence is for us to have a proactive engagement against Boko Haram. Additionally, we have the 7 Division that has deployed its men to the areas close to the Camerounian border and this is one of the key things that have happened in the fight against insurgents.”
He said the blockade has started yielding dividends, especially as infiltration has been halted and the influx of logistics to the insurgents have been denied.
This move, he said has made members of the insurgents to surrender in droves.
He, however, lamented killings by the insurgents, adding that teachings of the Holy Books do not advocate such killings.
“There is no where in the Quran or Bible that killing of fellow human beings were advocated or they attached a celestial reward to killing of fellow human beings.”
In his response, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Publishing Limited, Mr. Eric Osagie, who commended military’s operations said it was sad to see young military officers pay the supreme price daily in a war where they are not fighting enemies from other countries.
“We take military issues seriously because every day, you see young men and women pay the supreme price in a war where you are not really fighting enemies of other countries but our misguided brothers and sisters who have decided to turn our country into a war zone.
“So, in a bid to make them turn in their weapons, people lose their lives and there’s no greater respect we can pay to them than to be in solidarity with you in your fight to rout the insurgents.
“I also take cognisance of the fact that the oxygen they need is information. This is the debate everywhere, how much information are they going to release.”
He urged the military to avail the media full disclosure on the war against insurgents, insisting that the media must have the benefit of information, especially in this era of social media.
The Sun MD also called for partnership with the military in order to deliberate on citizens’ responsibility in times of insurgency.
Meanwhile, Borno State Government has sent 50 school girls orphaned by Boko Haram to a secondary school in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Governor Kashim Shettima said Islam does not forbid educating girls, describing critics of girl-child education as ignorant of Islamic precepts.
“Whoever claims Islam forbids girl-child education is an ignoramus. The truth is that Islam encourages education for our girls.”
He said the school in Zaria was chosen for its discipline posture.
He assured of plans to visit the students as soon as they settle down even as he gave each of them N20, 000 as his personal gift and N100, 000 to each of the officials that will accompany the students to Zaria, in addition to the earlier pocket money of N20, 000 provided by the government for each of the 50 students.