Chibok: Military Tactics Appropriate – IBB

Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd) has stated that the strategy adopted by Defence Headquarters to rescue the abducted Chibok schoolgirls is appropriate. The development came just as Babangida stated that he is ready to support Northern Governors over the need to end insurgency in the region. Babangida stated this on Friday at his residence in Minna while answering journalists’ questions after a delegation from the National Population Commission (NPC) led by the Federal Commissioner representing Niger State, Aliyu Datti paid him a courtesy visit. The former leader also said that Nigerians must live above ethnic and religious sentiment not to go to war on issues that related to census saying that we must not go to war on census that should be just a routine exercise to know our population growth. On the declaration by the Chief of defence staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh that the military know where the Chibok girls were camped and would not use force, IBB said that “what he said is the right thing; it is only natural that the military does not give away information about their operations, it is part of their training” While saying that the step taken by the Chief of defence staff was good, he added that Nigerians should accept what he said that the military was doing something about the rescue of the abducted school girls. On the call by the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu that the Northern leaders should assist the Northern Governors to end insurgence in three months, the Former Military President said “We will continue to provide such advice or assistance, whatever the case may be because we don’t have any other country, this is our country, we can’t betray it.” The Former head of state said that those who were entertaining fear over the assistance of foreign countries belong to old school of thought, arguing that Nigeria had offered the same assistance to other countries. He said that every developing nation must go through certain challenges and the ability to confront the challenges and overcome the challenges make the nation to move forward. “We are 54 years now, Nigeria will be in existence in the next 2000 years, the problem now, me and you will not be there so it is one challenge after the other; life must continue, it is just the ability to face the challenges, we fought civil war for three years, I don’t think any Nigerian now will want to fight another civil war 40 years after” he declared.