By Omololu Ogunmade
The senator representing Borno South senatorial district in the Senate, Ali Ndume, Wednesday alleged that various military bodies fighting the war against terrorism lacked a co-ordinated approach required to win the battle.
Ndume, who made the insinuation while addressing journalists at the National Assembly, Abuja, said lack of effective co-ordination among the Army, Nigeria Air Force (NAF), Nigeria Police and the State Security Service (SSS) was responsible for the attack on his convoy in Pulka on his way to Gwoza on Sunday.
"There is no effective co-ordination among them. It took time to establish contact with the aircraft after the incident. Do you just see a convoy and start shooting? It is against their rule of engagement," he said.
Ndume also condemned the alleged refutal of an earlier statement by NAF that his claim of attack on his convoy was false.
Ndume was reacting to a report in the Leadership newspaper of yesterday that NAF denied admitting that it indeed carried out the attack, allegedly saying its personnel were well trained and knowledgeable enough to differentiate between right and wrong targets.
The statement was at variance with the one the Force issued on Sunday that it took the convoy to be that of Boko Haram members.
But Ndume insisted that the incident occurred at Pulka village while on his way to Gwoza Local Government Area to commiserate with the people of his constituency over the death of some of his kinsmen. "It was by sheer providence that all the people in the convoy escaped unhurt," he insisted.
According to him, if NAF insists on the denial, "it then means that there was a strange aircraft hovering in Nigerian airspace throwing bombs even at a senator of the Federal Republic.
"When I arrived Maiduguri, I notified the Nigerian Army to give me a detachment for security purpose, which they did. I equally notified the police and they gave me a detachment in order to move to those volatile areas. Unfortunately, at exactly 2.10p.m., I was in Pulka waiting for the remaining stakeholders so that we can move together."
"As we moved towards Gwoza, I heard explosions at the back but initially, I thought it was Boko Haram that planted bombs because I passed a culvert. We even suspected some people that were waiving at us from the roadside; we thought they were the ones that detonated the bombs," Ndume said.
He submitted further that for 15 minutes, the Air Force jet was patrolling the area, adding: "We are lucky to be alive. I truly want to believe that it was an operational problem. I think the military did not handle it well. You don’t just see a convoy on a federal highway and you just bombed it like that.
"I had talked to the Chief of Army Staff and sent a text to the Chief of Air Staff. I had talked to the Air Force Commander there (in Maiduguri) and I also talked with the governor. The Air Force plane did not originate from Maiduguri but Yola," he added.
He added that there were eight soldiers, five policemen and some members of the youth vigilante groups in his convoy when the bombs were thrown.
"When I arrived Maiduguri, I notified the Nigerian Army to give me a detachment for security purpose, which they did. I equally notified the police and they gave me a detachment in order to move to those volatile areas. Unfortunately, at exactly 2.10p.m., I was in Pulka waiting for the remaining stakeholders so that we can move together."
"As we moved towards Gwoza, I heard explosions at the back but initially, I thought it was Boko Haram that planted bombs because I passed a culvert. We even suspected some people that were waiving at us from the roadside; we thought they were the ones that detonated the bombs," Ndume said.
He submitted further that for 15 minutes, the Air Force jet was patrolling the area, adding: "We are lucky to be alive. I truly want to believe that it was an operational problem. I think the military did not handle it well. You don’t just see a convoy on a federal highway and you just bombed it like that.
"I had talked to the Chief of Army Staff and sent a text to the Chief of Air Staff. I had talked to the Air Force Commander there (in Maiduguri) and I also talked with the governor. The Air Force plane did not originate from Maiduguri but Yola," he added.
He added that there were eight soldiers, five policemen and some members of the youth vigilante groups in his convoy when the bombs were thrown.
Ndume, who said he picked up four bombs from the scene, said the Hilux vehicle conveying the military operatives was in the front followed by his own vehicle which he said was also followed by the one conveying the police and another vehicle conveying the civilian Joint Task Force while the last one was conveying the Dan Madami of Gwoza.
Retrieved from: Thisdaylive
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