The federal government has declared that the Boko Haram menace will soon become a thing of the past as it has perfected a new plan to end it.
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?The Minister of Defence, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, disclosed this yesterday while declaring open the 2011 Defence Advisers/Attaches Annual Conference in Abuja. He said that? government’s approach has been making use of honest dialogue among genuine stakeholders and key players.
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?The minister, who spoke through the minister of state for defence, Chief Erelu Olusola Obada, said the various efforts of government at finding a lasting solution to the incessant attacks on innocent citizens and security agents by the Boko Haram is a clear indication of its commitment to lasting peace and security in the country required for national peace and progress.
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According to him, “I am happy to inform you that the government is on top of the situation in the Boko Haram issue. It is in these fundamental senses that the repositioning of the Defence Intelligence Agency in meeting contemporary security environment becomes paramount and your input as defence advisers and defence attaches in forecasting potential threats to our national security and cohesion is crucial to the implementation of government policies.
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In his remark, the chief of defence intelligence (CDI), Major General S.Y. Audu, said that Nigeria has experienced several security incident which have necessitated the increased involvement of the Nigerian armed forces in internal security operations.
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According to him, there is growing of their methods of intelligence gathering in order to adequately rise to the demands of the emerging security environment.
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Sequel to advice by the intelligence community to the federal government to enhance security at critical infrastructural facilities, soldiers would be deployed any moment from now to support policemen in guarding power facilities across the nation, LEADERSHIP has learnt.
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The deployment, according to a statement by the ministry of power, is as a result of the threat to national security by the extremist Islamic sect Boko Haram.
Troops from the army, navy and air force are to guard especially PHCN’s transmission and generation facilities, the statement issued in Abuja yesterday by the minister’s special adviser, Cdon Adinuba, revealed.
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According to the statement, “the minister of power, Professor Bart Nnaji, was on Sunday night informed of the federal government’s decision to deploy troops to protect the facilities and the workers.”
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“The minister has accordingly informed the PHCN Chief Executive, Engineer Hussein Labo, and the CEOs of the 18 PHCN successor companies, as well as stakeholders like the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies and the National Union of Electricity Employees of the development,” it added.
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Following the high rate of insecurity in the country, apart from guarding high profile places and hotels in Abuja, soldiers are also now deployed to guard big churches and mosques during worship.