President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that with the appointment of new Chief of Defence Staff and service chiefs, tough time awaits Boko Haram, even as the House of Representatives ordered investigation into the arrest of 320 suspected terrorists in Rivers State.
The President’s assurance came 48 hours after gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram killed over 70 people including worshippers and villagers in Adamawa and Borno states last Sunday.
In one attack, some men armed with guns and explosives killed 18 people at a Catholic church during a morning mass in Waga Chakawa village in Adamawa State.
The community is in Madagali Local Government, which is a boundary area with Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State. The area is known for series of insurgent attacks since the declaration of the state of emergency.
Jonathan, who paid homage to the Lamido Adamawa, Alhaji Barkindo Mustapha at his palace in Adamawa State yesterday, stressed that the excesses of the terrorist group will be curtailed.
The President, who condoled with the people of Adamawa State for the killings, congratulated the state for producing the current Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh. Jonathan said, “he is somebody I have worked with before and I believe with him and the other service chiefs definitely, the security equation will change. They have not been cleared by the National Assembly, which I believe will be done this week.
“I believe by next week, we will have our first security council meeting and I believe that the tempo will change. The police, working with the Armed Forces, the excesses of Boko Haram will be reduced”, he said.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday asked its Committees on Police and Human Rights to investigate the reported arrest of 320 suspected Boko Haram members in Rivers State.
It also set up an 18-man panel to visit Borno State and commiserate with the families of people killed by insurgents in Maiduguri recently.
The resolution followed a motion moved by the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon Suleiman Abdularahman Kawu on the need to investigate the arrest of 320 suspected Boko Haram members in Rivers State.
The motion was passed when the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, put the motion to vote.
From JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE and Iheanacho Nwosu, Abuja
