President Muhammadu Buhari has noted that fight against terrorism will be easier to defeat when leaders of the local communities provide security agents with accurate and reliable information.
Buhari said this on Wednesday when he paid a sympathy visit to Maiduguri, Borno State, maintaining that there is no way terrorists would move as far into the state as Maiduguri without the people in the communities along the way knowing.
He however assured that government would henceforth take more proactive and decisive measures against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups with a view to ending their menace once and for all.
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the President maintained that 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.
Buhari, who was at the palace of the Shehu of Borno, His Royal Highness Abubakar Ibn Umar Gabai, accompanied by Governor Babagana Zulum, sympathised with him and other victims of the attack, prayed for the repose of the soul of the victims.
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 said.
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.

By Bolaji Ogundele