Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has called on the Federal Government to ensure that the Nigerian Army is fully equipped to win the battle against insurgency and banditry.
The Senator representing Borno South made the call on Tuesday while speaking with journalists in Abuja.
Ndume had, over the weekend, visited Ngoshe and Pulka in the company of the Borno State Government, led by Professor Babagana Zulum.
Checks revealed that the Boko Haram sect, in conjunction with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), carried out coordinated attacks in Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, where they killed some soldiers, the village head and some community elders, including a woman.
An unspecified number of women and children were also abducted.
Further investigation revealed that the Nigerian Army has since routed the terrorists from the two communities.
The former Senate leader expressed grave concern, revealing that the military was initially overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the terrorist groups.
He said, “I am calling on the federal government to double its efforts in equipping the Army with sophisticated arms and ammunition.
“I gathered that our soldiers lacked adequate ammunition, and they ran away from Ngoshe and Pulka because the terrorists overwhelmed them. It was days after reinforcement that they regained the place. Nothing was left standing in Ngoshe and Pulka by the terrorists.”
The federal lawmaker, who commended Governor Zulum for seizing the initiative to visit the ravaged communities and displaced residents in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps, urged the federal government to assist the Borno State Government in rebuilding the communities and providing immediate succour to the displaced people.
He said, “I have visited Ngoshe; it isn’t something you can describe, but for somebody who has seen it, it has been brought down to ground zero.
“That’s what I have seen. The destruction is complete. There is nothing left standing except one small mosque. The people are resilient, the governor is determined to rebuild Ngoshe, and there is an urgent need for federal government intervention.
“I will talk with my colleagues at the National Assembly, and we will collectively, in both Houses, move a motion, but before then, we are expecting that the federal government will intervene. This is necessary because the people are still resilient. I have interacted with them; they are determined. Some of them even refused to go into the cities; they want to go back home. Since they have that determination, the government must rebuild the place.
“I must commend the Nigerian Army for taking back Ngoshe again. After we came back, the Governor spent a night in Pulka, and I must commend him. I see the psychological effect of that, and we just want to thank him on behalf of my people. It is something that we will never forget.”