Resurgence of attacks: Shettima meets heads of security agencies

Following resurgence of attacks by remnants of the Boko Haram insurgents in some parts of Borno State, Governor Kashim Shettima has held emergency meetings with heads of the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Police and the Department of State Security (DSS).

The meetings which took place Friday evening, discussed measures to increase surveillance and forestall unanticipated security breaches.

The governor first met with the Theater Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Leo Irabor at the Governor’s Office in the Government House, where the governor was briefed over recent attacks and ongoing military operations, according to a statement from Malam Isa Gusau, the Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy to the governor.

The statement which was emailed to journalists yesterday, said after meeting with the Theater Commander who is not a member of the State Security Council, Shettima presided over an emergency meeting of the state security Council that involved heads of core armed forces.

The statement said that at the end of meeting, new guard locations were established in some routes across the state to curtail the movement of remnants of Boko Haram fighters; deployment of security personnel to various locations were increased with more members of Civilian JTF (youth volunteers involved) while the governor gave approval for release of additional patrol vehicles to security agencies for increased surveillance.

The Governor also approved logistics to complement efforts of the federal government in strengthening armed forces while measures were adopted to strengthen the Civilian JTF and hunters. The meeting also reviewed synergy between formal armed forces and volunteers with steps adopted to increase collaboration and clamp down on cattle rustling used by insurgents to raise funds.