As the nation is still mourning the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba by terrorists in an ambush in Borno State, many soldiers were reported to have sustained varying degrees of injuries after terrorists ambushed troops heading to rescue kidnapped schoolgirls in Kebbi State.
The school girls kidnap, like that of the Chibok girls during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, has outraged the nation, still reeling from many unresolved acts of terrorism.
The latest terror compelled President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to quit the idea of attending scheduled AU-EU and G-20 meetings outside the country.
Tinubu has also dispatched Vice President (VP) Kashim Shettima to Kebbi to give him (Tinubu) a first-hand situation report on happenings in the North-West State. Shettima’s jet has since landed in Birnin Kebbi, the State capital.
The ambush on soldiers occurred just a day after Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, directed troops of Operation Fasan Yamma to go “all out” against the terrorists who abducted the students of Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Maga,Kebbi State.
He ordered: “You must continue day and night fighting. We must find these children.”
Not done, the COAS also ordered commanders to leverage intelligence for intelligence-based operations, stressing: “Once you receive information on something like this, act professionally and decisively. This is not just about our image; it is about doing our job properly.”
Therefore, soldiers mobilized for the rescue mission, only to be ambushed by terrorists.
Several injured soldiers were seen in a video footage lying helplessly without immediate medical attention.
In Hausa language, one of them said: “Musa has a bullet lodged in his leg. His condition is very bad” even as the soldiers’ operational vehicle was sighted riddled with bullet holes during the attack.
Putting off his scheduled trip to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola, as he awaits further security briefings on the kidnapped Kebbi schoolgirls and the attack on Christ Apostolic Church worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State, Tinubu, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, today, ordered the deployment of more security operatives to Eruku and the entire Ekiti Local Government Area of the state.
He also directed the police to go after the terrorists who attacked worshippers.
He was to leave Abuja today for the 20th G-20 Summit of leaders in South Africa and thereafter proceed to Luanda to attend the 7th AU-EU Summit.
Onanuga stated: “Disturbed by the security breaches in Kebbi State and Monday’s attack by bandits against worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, President Tinubu decided to suspend his departure.
“He now awaits reports from Vice President Kashim Shettima, who paid a sympathetic visit to Kebbi on his behalf, as well as reports from the police and the Department of State Services regarding the attack in Kwara.”
According to the statement, the President reiterated his directive to security agencies to do everything possible to rescue the 24 kidnapped schoolgirls and bring them home safe.
Shettima arrived Kebbi State to meet with the state government officials and families of the abducted schoolgirls.
His aircraft touched down at the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport, Birnin Kebbi.
Shettima was accompanied by Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, and some senior government officials.
The Vice President was expected to convey Tinubu’s message to the people of the state, as well as receive a briefing on the situation for onward communication to the President.
The attack on the Kebbi school claimed the life of the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, who was reportedly slain while trying to prevent the bandits from taking the girls away.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Armed terrorists.
