Boko Haram: Southern leaders call for border closure

Worried by the escalating in­security in the country, the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly has called on the Federal government to close the country’s borders with Cameroon, Niger and other neighbouring countries to forestall the continuous infil­tration by mercenaries.

In addition, the Assembly has called on President Good­luck Jonathan to declare full scale state of emergency in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states without pleading po­litical niceties and exigencies since the country is in a state of war against itself.

The group took the posi­tion yesterday in Abuja at the end of its joint Elders Council and Management Committee meeting to review the security situation in the country.

In a communiqué endorsed by leaders of the regions namely, Chief Edwin K. Clark [South-South and host Chairman]; Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi [South West and co-Chairman] and Dr. Alex Ekwueme [represented by Dr. Dozie Ikedife]for the South East respectively, the group explained that the call for to­tal state of emergencies in the affected states was because of the failure in the democratiza­tion of state of emergencies in those states.

It was also the position of the regions that the full de­ployment of tactics and strate­gies is imperative to win this war if Nigeria must remain one united indissoluble coun­try.

The meeting further called on the Federal Government to act most decisive with any observed dereliction on the part of officers and men of the Armed Forces.

“Nonetheless, we state with firm resolve that the Armed Forces must be allowed to do a thorough job of not only rescuing the abducted girls but also clear Nigeria of ter­rorists of any mould. Nigeria must continue to exist as one secular country where no­body plays the second fiddle.