Senate Summons Service Chiefs Over Boko Haram

Following the spate of terrorists attacks in the north-eastern part of the country, the Senate Committee on Defence on Wednesday summoned the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshall Alex Badeh, and Chief of Army Staff, Major General Kenneth Minimah, to appear before it.

According to ThisDay, the Senate Committee on Defence ordered the service chiefs to appear before it on Friday, due to concern of unabated destruction of lives and property in the troubled region.

Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshall Alex Badeh

The summons was reportedly propelled by Monday’s bomb blast which killed over 49 students in Potiskum, Yobe State, as well as for the top military officers to give account on why the state of emergency rule and the huge sums earmarked for security is not yielding positive result.


The senate committee summons is also against the backdrop of the comments made by the Deputy Governor of Borno State, Mr. Zanna Mustapha, in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State, when he alleged last week that, Boko Haram insurgents would soon make Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States history following the manner they had been capturing territories with ease.

Speaking to journalist on Tuesday on the issue of insurgency, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army and Defence, Senator George Sekibo, hinted that the service chiefs had been summoned by the committee to provide it with detailed account of the happenings in North-east and why the incessant killings had continued unchecked despite the emergency rule.

He further hinted that the summon is expected to give the service chiefs the opportunity to meet with the senators on the challenges confronting them in the troubled states, adding that the awful news coming from the region despite the huge assistance given to the military so far is embarrassing and offensive to all Nigerians.

Sekibo assured that the meeting would be thorough unlike the previous ones held because the situation has become more worrisome following the closeness of 2015 polls and scheduled primaries. He said the situation indicates huge difficulties awaiting conduct of elections and primaries in the North-east.

Floor of the Nigeria Senate

“I know as a Senate that we have done whatever we need to do to support the Armed forces to combat the battle and bring insurgents to their knees. I also believe that virtually all the directives the Senate has passed on to the president, he has also honoured them including the recent $1 billion loan that was requested for. I believe that in addition to the $1 billion through the office of the National Security Adviser, they will also be providing funds for the purchase of military equipment but for us to wake up and hear that we are being overrun in some areas is embarrassing.

“I believe that we cannot stay here while we have not heard from the service chiefs. That is why we have summoned the service chiefs tomorrow by one o’clock. We want to hear from them, to know areas they have problems and whatever the problems will be, we want to advise them to properly open up because Nigerians are tired of asking the same questions. We want to ask questions different from what we had been asking. I believe everyone is worried especially after the last bombing in the school in Yobe State.

Sekibo reiterated that elections are coming so fast in the next few weeks and people who are going for primaries would be worried if senators in the North-east can go for primaries. He wondered where they would start from, and expressed optimism that after the meeting on Friday, some of these questions would be answered.

“Between the last declaration of state of emergency till now, Mr. President heeding the voice of National Assembly, has procured some equipment and one of the issues we are going to have tomorrow at the meeting is to have an inventory