“No Commander-in-Chief or General that is worth his salt will surrender his territory with folded arms and running heels.”
This was the statement from the Nigeria’s former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, over the reported Boko Haram’s overrun of Mubi and the hoisting of their flag in Adamawa state, which is the second largest town in the state.
Atiku, who was abroad when the sordid incident took place in his home State on Wednesday, 29 October, told a group of journalists on arrival today: “with what I have gathered so far from online news reports and other sources from Mubi town, the situation is very unfortunate and undermining for our country.”
Describing it as a tragic act and a worrisome affront to the corporate integrity of Nigeria, the visibly angry former Vice President added: “If the reports are true that the Armed Forces had abandoned their assigned duty posts a few days before the overrun, it was an indication that the attack was not sudden after all. If the Soldiers also left behind their ammunition and armoured carriers at the mercy of predatory insurgents, it raises a question of complicity in the sordid episode.”
He said that is was most unfortunate that a situation arose were unsuspecting civilians who had relied on security agencies for their protection and were expecting an improvement in their security status as a result of the announced Ceasefire, were suddenly left defenceless and at the mercy of the marauders.
Atiku frowned at the undercurrent of connivance that might have fuelled the sudden retreat of the military in the face of imminent invasion of a vital commercial town, less than three hours away from Yola the Adamawa State Capital.
“On every occasion that leaders from the North East raised an alarm about the dangerous trend, we have either been ignored or called names.
“If there is any iota of truth in the suspicion of the people that they were deliberately abandoned, then it becomes a dangerous trend and a bad omen for Nigeria and all Nigerians.
Meanwhile, the former Vice President said he is heading for Yola to meet with those managing the displaced people and see what assistance he can render to reduce the sufferings of the people.
[myad]
Well, Alhaji Atiku, the ordinary Nigerian is relying on people like you to come forward with an explanation on why the lives of Nigerians and particularly, Northerners, have become so cheap to terminate, brutish to live, oppressively opaque, short and nasty to contemplate, since we can't expect an explanation from the government that has sustainably shown disdain and contempt to transparently address the situation. Is it that there is such an incredulous dart of intelligence in the North to warrant the pungent unawareness of the facts regarding these serial rape and wanton extermination of innocent lives? So, with the Commander-in-Chief and his retinue of generals in addition to an unbelievable quantum of resources earmarked so far for security, yet, our people are running away to neighbouring countries in thousands as REFUGEES, without the government giving a hoot about it;.
The last time the former Governor of Adamawa raised an alarm on how the insurgents have successfully been sustaining their carnage, the PDP-led Govt. ensured he was surreptitiously booted out of office, using the so-called 'people's representatives' (House of Assembly) and a megalomaniacally power-hungry Speaker of the state house of assembly (who has been used and dumped). Nobody, not even the Turaki himself could come to the support of the Governor without allowing politics to becloud the eyes.
What defies comprehension is the fact that the Nigerian Military could actually allow several local govt areas in the North-East to remain under the occupation of the insurgents for so long, and worst still, concede still a major town like Mubi to them. May be, the hen will soon come home to roost, perhaps then, we will be asking the right questions and insisting on answers – belatedly so.