The Senator representing Southern Borno Senatorial District, Mohammed Ndume, has said that the Nigerian military is ill-equipped and lacks the wherewithal to end insurgency and banditry.
Ndume said this as he also refuted reports making the rounds on social media that his convoy was ambushed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.
The former chairman of the Senate Committee on Army spoke at his Maiduguri residence after returning from a condolence visit to families of those recently killed by terrorists in Ngoshe, Kirawa, Ashigashiya, and other communities in Gwoza local government area.
“On Tuesday, my humble self and other concerned stakeholders, with a convoy of military escort, were on our way to Ngoshe to condole with families of those who were killed by terrorists before proceeding to Kirawa.
“On our way, we received a distress call that some Cameroonian soldiers and motorists were ambushed along the Pulka-Kirawa road.
“After consoling the people of Ngoshe, we took courage and proceeded to Kirawa even though there was an attack on the road the same day by terrorists.
“We reached Kirawa successfully, where we also condoled with the families of those killed by terrorists last week.
“We encouraged residents to be resilient and not to panic over the renewed Boko Haram attacks,” Ndume said.
According to the senator, the Kirawa road ambush targeted a Cameroonian Bureau De Change/businessman (Alhaji Kadi), who was killed alongside an unidentified woman, while others sustained injuries.
“The military is determined and committed to ending Boko Haram’s madness, but this cannot be possible if they are not fully equipped, armed, trained, and motivated,” Ndume added.