Special Adviser clears air on military expedition

THE Special Adviser to Niger State Government on Security, Retired Brigadier-Gen. Nda—Gulu Abubakar Imam, has admitted that the military has the mandate to embark on security expeditions without necessarily informing the state government.
This came as Niger State government denied knowledge of military invasion of communities in Bosso LG.
More revelations have continued to unfold at the on going sittings of the Commission of Inquiry set up by the Niger State government to investigate the immediate and the remote causes of the bloody clashes between some communities in Bosso Local Government Area of the state and the military as more witnesses testified.
The Security Adviser to the Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, retired Brigadier General Nda-Gulu Abubakar Imam, debunked the earlier claim by the Brigade Commander, 33 Field Artillery of the Nigeria Army, Brigadier General Olanrewaju Jimoh that the information that arms and ammunition were being stockpiled by the communities was revealed during a security meeting in government house.
Gen.Imam in his testimony before the commission last Saturday, said that as a retired intelligent officer in the Nigeria army and as a security adviser to the governor, he was not aware of any security report of arms stockpile and gun running about these communities.
According to him, “the issue of gun running and arm stock piling by the communities was never discussed in any security meeting which I attended”.
It could be recalled that the Brigade Commander, during a cross examination by the counsel to the communities, Mohammed Abubakar earlier claimed that the government was aware of the operation but that, the time and date of the operation was not communicated to the government.
But the security adviser maintained that prior to the August 4th, invasion by the military, there was no report of arms stock pile by the communities, nor was the issue mentioned in any of the security council meeting which he, as a security adviser attended.
He also disclosed that the military never informed the government before the operation until he got a distress call from a member of the communities to inform him that they (communities) were under attack from some armed bandits dressed in military informs.
“The youth leader in the communities call me around 3am to inform me that the villages were under attack from some armed bandits in military uniform. I immediately called the brigade commander who confirmed to me that they were his men and that the operation was legal one.
“At this point, I immediately got across to the governor who was away through a text message. I also got across to other members of the state security council on the development, thereafter the governor directed the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Ketso to take charge and ensure everything is brought under control”, he remarked.

On why did he think that the military could not inform either the governor who is the chief security officer of state or himself who is the chief security adviser to the governor before the operation, the special adviser told the commission that the military has the right to embark on such operation without necessary informing the government.
According to him, “the military has a standing order from Mr. President and commander-in-chief to go for any operation in any state without necessarily informing the state governor”.