Growing public anger, bitterness and animosity against the poor handling of security matters by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration took a turn for the worse on Wednesday with the display of open hostility and booing of the President by residents of Maiduguri, Borno State capital.
The President had flown straight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to commiserate with victims of the recent attack by Boko Haram when residents of the metropolis, who came out on the streets to welcome him, openly expressed their anger, booing the President and members of his entourage.
In the attack on Sunday night, the Islamist fundamentalists killed at least 30 passengers, who were prevented from entering Maiduguri because they missed the time set by the military for accessing the town.
The crowd booed, jeered at the convoy , expressing anger, telling the President and his team that they were not welcome.
Hundreds of youths were heard shouting in Hausa, ‘Ba ma so’ Ba ma so,’ or we don’t want it.’
But a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President at the palace of the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Gabai, promised that a more proactive and decisive measures are to be taken by the Federal Government to put an end to the Boko Haram menace in the country once and for all.
Buhari however appealed for more intelligence sharing and synergy between law enforcement agencies and the civil populace are critical towards achieving the objectives
“I assure you that improvement in security will be pursued vigorously. The military will work harder and strategise with tactics to deal with the insurgents. This is however not possible without good intelligence and cooperation with local community leaders.
“Boko Haram cannot come up to Maiduguri or environs without the local leadership knowing because traditionally, the local leadership is in charge of security in their own respective areas.
“I want to call on the leadership at various levels to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and let us deny Boko Haram access to our loyal citizens,” the President said.
“We will do our best and I hope history will be kind to us; to recall what was on the ground when we came and what will be on the ground when we leave,” he added.
President Buhari, who was at the palace of the Shehu of Borno, His Royal Highness Abubakar Ibn Umar Gabai, accompanied by the state Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, sympathised with him and other victims of the attack, prayed for the repose of the soul of the victims.
Governor Zulum thanked the President for identifying with the state in these trying times. He praised the efforts of the military so far, wondering why some people would be comparing the security situation now with what obtained before the Buhari administration came on board:
“Roads were closed, there were sporadic bombings everywhere even within the metropolis. Close to 20 local government areas were under Boko Haram. We are surprised that there seems to be resurgence in 2019.”
He tasked the military to borrow from their successes especially between 2015 and 2017, take the battle to the insurgents and push them to the fringes of Lake Chad.
He also urged the security agencies to be patient with the civilian populace and give opportunities to the Internally Displaced Persons to access their communities in order to return to their occupations.