Abuja, Nigeria - As part of moves to find permanent end to Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State, Nigeria's Vice President, Namadi Sambo met with the Governor of Borno, Kashim Shettima and some security chiefs at the State House, Abuja on Thursday.
The top security chiefs at the meeting include the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin; Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika; Chief of the Air Staff (CNS), Air Vice-Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar, Borno CP M. D Abubakar, representatives of Chief of Naval Staff and Inspector General of Police .
The Borno State Governor who addressed journalists after the meeting said, “Actually, we are here to have discussions with the Vice President and other security chiefs on security challenges we are facing in Borno.
"We had fruitful discussions and we cross-coordinated our ideas on how to address those pending issues and the Vice President has pledged full Federal Government support towards nipping in the bud once and for all the Boko Haram insurrection in the North East.”
On troop’s deployment he said, “These are things we rather not discuss about it. The discussions were fruitful and thank God Boko Haram will be a thing of the past very soon”.
He said the state was not against dialogue with the Boko Haram, saying it had to be on the basis of commitment from the outlawed sect.
“Dialogue is an on-going business. For those that are ready to lay down their arms, the President was very empathic yesterday in New York when he said we were going to apply the carrot and stick approach. For those that are willing to lay down their arms, I believe the Federal Government and the state government will be very magnanimous,” he said.
"This is an agenda the state government has been championing since we came to power.
“Boko Haram, I wish to reiterate, is a political problem and a political problem always need a political solution. Meanwhile, we cannot talk to them from a position of weakness, we have to talk to them from a position of strength and the Federal Government has pledged all the support needed for us to restore peace and tranquility to Borno State and for Borno to restore its lost glory as the home of peace.”