Auno attack, The Service Chiefs Must Go; Monguno, House of Reps reiterates call for sack of Service Chiefs

The House of Representatives on Wednesday reiterated call for the removal of Service Chiefs. They also asked the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on  security across the country. This followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Chief Whip of the House, Mohammed Monguno, at the plenary on Wednesday. Monguno, in the motion entitled “Recent Attack by the Boko Haram Insurgents at Auno Village, Borno State” and adopted by the lawmakers, also direct the military to established super camp in Auno, Borno state. Leading his debate on the floor of the House presided by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, Monguno said Auno village is one of the spots where the Nigerian Army instructed the commuters on the Damaturu-Maiduguri road to spend the night before proceeding on their journeys the next morning. He said because of the security challenges in the northeast, commuters on Damaturu-Maiduguri road are compelled to suspend their journeys once its 6:00pm. “Aware that on Sunday, February 9, 2020, while commuters in their hundreds were waiting in the Auno village, the military men left them or at best abandoned them,” he said. He said the commuters were waiting to spend the night when Boko Haram insurgents attacked, kidnapped and burnt some of their vehicles. Monguno said that occupants of two Hummer Buses and one Sharon Bus were kidnapped, 18 vehicles burnt and 30 people killed, including an infant. “No super Military camp exist on the Damanturu-Maiduguri road, hence exposing commuters to dangers of being killed, maimed or kidnapped. “Keeping waiting commuters in night was dangerous in view of the security challenges in Nigeria, especially in the North-East,” he added. Also contributing, the House Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta), insisted that the Service Chiefs should be removed. In its resolution, the House directed the military authority to henceforth stop the keeping of commuters overnight at a particular period on the Damaturu-Maiduguri road. They also directed the military to allow commuters proceed on their journeys even after 6:00pm and mandated the House Committees on Army, National Security, and Intelligence to investigate the causes of the attack.