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President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan
| credits: File copy

Indications emerged on Friday that the Federal Government might declare a state of emergency in five states in Northern Nigeria, as a last-ditch measure to check the rising killings and insecurity.

The states are Borno, Yobe, Nasarawa, Benue and Plateau.

A pointer to this emerged as President Goodluck Jonathan held an emergency meeting with security chiefs and some other top government officials in his bid to address the spate of insecurity in many parts of the country, with the latest being the killing of 47 policemen and 10 State Security Service operatives by the Ombatse militia in Alakyo forest in Nasarawa State on Tuesday.

They also destroyed nine patrol vans.

Jonathan, who rushed back to the country from South Africa late on Thursday, was said to have reviewed reports from the security chiefs on recent violence in Baga and Bama in Borno State; Alakyo Village in Nasarawa State; and Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.

Among those at the meeting that lasted several hours were the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Said; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Alex Badeh; Director-General of State Security Service, Ita Ekpenyong; representative of the Chief of Army Staff, Maj-Gen. Emmanuel Bassey; and Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar.

The IG wore a black arm band to the meeting as a sign of mourning for the slain policemen.

Others at the meeting were the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.); Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (retd.); Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe.

At a point, Olubolade, Anyim and Oghiadomhe stepped out of the venue wearing gloomy looks while Jonathan and the security chiefs continued with the discussions.

By the time the meeting finally ended, none of the government or security officials was willing to speak with journalists.

They also shielded Abubakar from journalists who sought an interview with him on the killing of the policemen.

He simply described the killing as “a sad development.”

A source at the meeting however described it as “a stormy session.”

The source said “far-reaching decisions,” some of which would be made public soon, and others which would be kept under wraps for security reasons were taken at the meeting.

Olubolade, who was moved to tears, managed to answer reporters’ questions on the murder of policemen.

•State of emergency

Asked to confirm speculations that government was considering the imposition of a state of emergency in some states, he said, “That is not within my purview. They (security chiefs) have the right to call for whatever they want. At the end of the day, the President will take a decision.

“It was an emergency security meeting at the instance of Mr. President. He had to cut his journey short because of insecurity and loss of lives; he was supposed to have been in Namibia. So, he summoned the security agencies to have a quick meeting with us and as you can see, they are still there. The Chief of Defence Staff and other service chiefs are still with him.

“He is looking at how we can put an end to all these troubles we are having and I think that at the end of that deliberation, you will get to know the outcome.”

He advised policemen against revenge, saying such would not help the nation.

“The security agencies particularly the police will not want to go and revenge. It is not going to help us because they are supposed to protect lives and property. Going to revenge will not douse tension. It will bring about a lack of confidence in the system. So, we will strictly discourage that,” he said.

On the allegation that policemen killed nine of the Ombatse cult members in Nasarawa State first before they retaliated, the minister said, “I wouldn’t know what is true about that. All I know is that the police have a duty to perform and as such, they must not be afraid, they must be equipped, they must be trained, they must do their job because they are under instructions. The police will not just wake up and pick their leaders if nothing has gone wrong.

“The populace must know that anybody can be brought in by the police for interrogation depending on the intelligence the police get; and that is what happens elsewhere.”

Meanwhile, security sources said on Friday that government was considering the military option to dislodge members of the Ombatse cult from their hideout in Alakyo forest in Nasarawa State.

This follows the inability of the police and SSS to accomplish the task.

•Death toll now 47

Saturday PUNCH learnt that 28 riot policemen who survived the attack were released by the militia and returned to their base in Akwanga.

Some of them returned to base without their rifles which they lost to their attackers.

The Public Relations Officer, Nasarawa State Police Command, Michael Ada, confirmed the return of the policemen to one of our correspondents on Friday.

He said that 17 others were still missing, adding that they had been presumed dead since they were yet to be seen two days after.

“The 17 missing policemen are presumed dead because they have been missing for over 48 hours. So this brings the number of the dead to 47. But the search and rescue teams are still searching for the missing officers and they have yet to report back to the headquarters,” Ada explained.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abayomi Akeremale, also confirmed the return of the 28 policemen.

Akeremale told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lafia that some of the policemen held hostage by the group during the attack were released on Friday morning.

He said 17 corpses of the slain officers were yet to be recovered. He explained that a total of 93 policemen were deployed for the operation, out of which 43 were suspected to have been killed.

Akeremale said that a suspected member of the militia had been arrested and was in police custody, adding that investigations on the incident were going on.

Akeremale also said he would visit the Squadron 38 Mopol Base in Akwanga to appeal to spouses and children of the slain policemen, who blocked the Akwanga-Lafia highway on Friday in protest over the killings.

•Protesters block expressway

Meanwhile, no fewer than 200 people travelling through Nasarawa State were on Friday trapped in a village near Akwanga, in an attempt to avoid a roadblock by protesting women and children.

NAN reports that the women and children were protesting over the killing of policemen and other security agents at Alakyo village by the Ombatse militia on Tuesday.

Following the blockade, vehicles tried to go through bush paths but the protesters blocked the paths, saying they were enforcing a restriction of movement through the state.

Some of the travellers told NAN that they were trapped in a remote village off Akwanga, near a local government area primary school and had no protection.

They said the women, who blocked the road, carried big sticks and were already burning car tyres on the bush paths to demonstrate their anger and dismay over the killings.

Commercial transporters and private vehicle drivers were trapped in the blockade.

One of the passengers, Mrs. Victoria Dzeremo, trapped with her daughter, Erdoo, said their vehicle, a commercial bus, had been stopped from further movement few kilometres off Akwanga.

“We have been here in this bush for more than an hour; these women have blocked the road and are demanding for government’s explanation over their husbands’ killings.

“They are here with their children, we have been begging them since to allow us passage but to no avail, the situation is quite serious.

“Now, they have started burning the nearby bush and we are afraid the fire might escalate and affect the vehicles,” Dzeremo said.

The Police Public Relations Officer in-charge of Nassarawa State, DSP Michael Ada, said Akeremale had directed the Area Commander to go and persuade the protesters to open the road.

NAN learnt the protesters insisted that they would only leave the road when their delegation to Governor Tanko Al-Makura returns and gives them a feedback on government’s position.

http://www.punchng.com/news/fg-may-declare-state-of-emergency-in-borno-others/[/b]

He once declared state of emergency in some northern states, what was the result?

The

Prof Corruption: He once declared state of emergency in some northern states, what was the result?

The BH boys relocated to areas not covered by the emergency rule punk. He shud go ahead and declear state of emergency in Borno and Yobe. Our people used to say that is one that knows u that can kill u, not a foreigner ( onye ma mmadu na egbu ya). These villagers, traditional rulers in these states cant claim ignorance of BH among them. The BH boyz take time to plan. They surge into d village, secure accommodation, study d terain b4 carrying out their nefarious plan yet the village head sedon 4 chair dey collect salary as d head chief. Governors instead of working with their traditional rulers to nip this guyz pay d bh boys so they wont harm them. It has tayyed wen I subscribed to state of emergency to these state.

Only borno and yobe deserve state of emmergency,but the elders in borno and yobe do not want state of emergency in their states because many of them are in support of the activities of boko haram.

Prof Corruption: He once declared state of emergency in some northern states, what was the result?

wot are they waiting for, if it is in my state, they would have done that since

I can't wait to see this happen. Borno State needs nothing less than four Military Administrators drawn especially from the Army and Air Force superintending over the State

I pray that God should give GEJ wisdom to manage the situation.Three of the 5 states to clear state of emergency belongs to Opposition and I feel that will cause another crisis.

This is what i expect the commander-in-chief to have done long long time ago. Things would not have degenerated to this level. This was the type of scenario the constitution envisaged for a state of emergency. The governors should be removed and a tough retired military officer of northern extraction be appointed supported by a battalion to root out the insurgents.

Placative measures and amnesty payments would only empower the militants with more time and weapons.

Tolexander: What about the niger deltan state where 13 police officers were killed in april?

The whole of nigeria need state of emergency.

Even the president needs the president of emergency to rectify nigerians problem

look at this thing

What a dunce president.The other day Obj advised him to use "carrot and stick" approach,he was tripping citing the collateral damage in the Odi and zaki biam crises and on the other hand,he refused to grant them amnesty.How else does he intends to curb the menace of boko haram ?

Boko haram are internal aggressors and only a military intervention will douse their tension.thereafter,they can come to the round-table to negotiate for peace or some sort of diplomacy.

GEJ should do what he knows how to do best;set up a committee of inquiry. So that can chop money and look into the feasibility of a State of Emergency,then report to the Presidency their findings. And then set up another committee to look into the report of the former committee and advise him. After that, he will set up another committee to find out what the other former committees did not find and then he will sack the Chairmen of those committees and replace them with Ijaw men and ask them to re-constitute another committee of inquiry. Chei! I don tire to write committee...make I continue? Oya, lets go... The re-constituted committees will fall out due to accusations of embezzlement and counter accusations and GEJ will set up another committee to look into the fraudulence of the committees and report within d weeks and whil on it, another mass killing erupts in another state. Maybe Zamfara will be next. To be continued! space booked...

Long Overdue ... If state of emergency will rein in insurgency in that part of the country, why even debate it? Give the dictate or fiat pronto!

This is long overdue!At times I wonder if FG has focus at all.Maybe until some states are reduced to nothing before necessary action will be taken.

wipe em boko peepz, period

GEJ is a good man, and no country was ever saved by a good man. He is fit to be the leader of PCC, Parochial Church Committee, or Harvest and Bazaar chairman.

Prof Corruption: He once declared state of emergency in some northern states, what was the result?

No, he only did it in some LGAs in Borno, Niger and Yobe.

I support FG on state of emmergency, am tired of hearing senseless animalistic killing

And their FAAC cash handed over to the military to fund security. At least it will take a lot of fuel out of the fires these governors have started.

Which way Nigeria?

So when they noticed Egon youth (non-fulanis) are rising, they quickly want to declare state of emergency. Did he declare state of emergency last week when boko haram attacked a police station in Borno.
So when non-muslim youths now strike, they quickly want to protect fulanis/hausas. So what happened to those non-fulanis that were killed in Jos and Nassarawa few monthsa ago?

E nor concern me

May or may be = Will not.

I don't know how the state of emergency works but if that will empower the military to take control of the situation then they should do it fast before more lives are lost. Though the people of the state may suffer some pains but they should endure to end this menace

Seriously, most of Nigeria needs a state of emergency esp the fed govt.

[size=20pt]what is benue and plateau doing on that list?[/size] see executive nonsense >:

barikay: I don't know how the state of emergency works but if that will empower the military to take control of the situation then they should do it fast before more lives are lost. Though the people of the state may suffer some pains but they should endure to end this menace

Yeah a military administrator takes over and reports directly to the president,the governor and the house of assembly lose their powers throughout the state of emergency rule and the area will become a battle field for conventional warfare.

Tell your folks there to better relocate.

The best option right now is for the govt to just destroy places like borno coz more lives and properties will be lost. Much money is being spent on the situation and without signs of ending, its gonna cost lots of money. Right now the govt isnt taking drastic measures and the situation is worsening.

Gradually, nigeria is slipping into dictatroship. Under a State of emergency the rule of law is suspended. Today f.ools are saying declare it in borno, yobe, nasarawa,plateau. What is happening in those states now can happen anywhere else in this country - how many police men have been killed by criminals in other places in these past months? Why did they not call for state of emergency there.Politicians have busied themselves stealing and f.ools are talking crap. The so-called state of emergency will achieve nothing as the ones daclared before.
Let's not forget that police men are themselves victims of the system under which they operate, a system that denies them proper training and modern equipment - that's why 100 would be despatched in open vans to arrest a 77-year old man.

dgitrader: [size=20pt]what is benue and plateau doing on that list?[/size] see executive nonsense >:

Plateau should be on the list because it is the epicentre of the violence in Nigeria.

And those ones gej has declared in the past wat are the results, state of emergency were only feared during obj's time

THE GOVERNOR OF NASSARAWA IS TO BLAMED FOR FUELLING CRISES IN HIS STATE. Because him and the cult group are at logger heads does not imply him to deploy hundreds of antiriot policemen to arrest the priest of the militia who he claimed led the group in destroying churches and mosque. He should have learnt from the causes of the boko haram insurgency when forceful attempt made to arrest the leader of boko haram led to his death which has now led to severe security challenges.