Enough Is Enough, Sack Service Chiefs Now, Northern Activists Tell Buhari

Following the brutal killings of at least 43 rice farmers in Zabarmari village in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State on Saturday, some northern human rights activists have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to rejig the country’s security architecture.

The activists made this known in a communique released after an emergency meeting in Kaduna on Tuesday.

Signatories to the communique are Nastura Ashir Sahriff- Coalition of Northern Group’s Board of Trustees Chairman(Kano), National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Abdul Ahmed Isiaq- (Kaduna), Alhaji Gambo Ibrahim Gugungu, National President of Arewa Youths Forum(Kaduna), Jibril Tafida- (Kaduna).

Others include Engr. Bello Bichi (Kano), Murtala Muhammad(Kaduna), Mandir Guruza, Arch. Mathias Joseph(Plateau), Engr. Ibrahim Ndagi (Niger) and Aminu Saleh(Bauchi) as well as Shetima Yerima, leader of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum.

They noted that there might be low morale among the military personnel on the front-lines occasioned by fighting equipment and the long-overdue retirement of those heading various branches of the armed forces.

The communique read, “We say enough is enough of these killings of innocent and unarmed civilians in Borno State, brought about by the seeming inability of the nation’s troops stationed in the state to help avoid this kind of massive attacks and killings.

“We categorically call on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack the nation’s service chiefs for their inability to save the country this tragically-embarrassing experience that has dire consequences to our international image.

“It is our conviction that until President Muhammadu Buhari promptly applies a major paradigm shift in the security architecture, we will continue with this bad and alarming rounds of the tragic and embarrassing situation.

“There is also the need for not just total overhaul of the security architecture in Borno but also the outdated intelligence-gathering method. The time to end this madness and now, the nation can’t afford to wait any longer.

“We commiserate with the families of the farmers who were killed while trying to earn a living legitimately. Our heartfelt condolences go to the entire people and government of Borno State.”