Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday raised the alarm over an alleged plan by insurgents to bomb his house. Osinbajo raised the alarm during a meeting of the National Economic Council held inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The council, which has the Vice President as its chairman, comprises of all state governors.
According to a statement issued at the end of the meeting, Osinbajo who had toured some of the states witnessing insurgency in the North-East, told members of the council that intelligence report made available to him indicated that insurgents were planning to dump refuse laden with bombs in his house.
The council document released by its secretariat did not however indicate where his house in question is situated. "The Vice President also disclosed that security reports has it that scavengers are now being prepared by insurgents to dump refuse laden with bombs in the house of the Vice President," the document read.
The statement said Osinbajo regretted that the insurgency had affected the economic life of the North-East and the country as a whole. He called on members of the council to speak as a team and put pressure on the service chiefs to increase their effort in fighting insurgency. Specifically, he called for increase in sensitisation through education channels like radio and television.
The council document indicated that governors from the North-East and North-West presented updates on insurgency and other criminal activities like cattle rustling and banditry during the meeting. It stated that governors of Yobe and Borno States raised the alarm over five local government areas of the two states still being in possession of the insurgents.
The document reads, "Governors from the North-East and North-West presented updates on the issue of insurgency in the North-East and other criminal activities like cattle rustling and banditry in the North-West. "Governors of Yobe, Borno, Taraba, Kaduna, Gombe, Plateau and Bauchi States took turns to inform the Council of security concerns in those regions.
"On Boko Haram issues, governors of Yobe and Borno States raised the alarm over five local government areas of the two states still being in possession of the insurgents. "They called for increase in military deployment and provision of sophisticated military equipment in those areas."
The governors were further quoted as saying that insurgents are still hiding in the Sambisa Forest. On cattle rustling and banditry, Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was said to have reported that most of the cattle rustlers are in Kumuku National Park. He was further quoted as saying that if the issue was not properly handled, it could result to another Sambisa Forest episode.
He said efforts were being made to deal with the issue. Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, was also reported to have suggested that special economic angle should be introduced in addition to military intervention to deal with the Boko Haram problem.
Osinbajo had visited Gombe, Adamawa and Borno States. During the visits, the Vice President visited Internally Displaced Persons camps as well as hospitals where victims of terrorism are being attended to.
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