Military restricts vehicular movement in Borno

The Nigerian military on Tuesday
imposed restriction on vehicular
movement in Maiduguri, the
capital of Borno State, in order to
check any security breach.
Also, a former Vice President, Atiku
Abubakar, and the Edo State
Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, have
urged Nigerians to remain security
conscious as they celebrate
Christmas and prepare for the New
Year.
The military in a statement said
the decision was made following
security reports at its disposal.
A statement signed by the Army
Public Relations Officer,
Headquarters of the 7 Division, the
Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, Col.
Sani Usman, claimed that there
was a concerted effort by the Boko
Haram sect to unleash terror on
some parts of Borno State,
particularly in the Maiduguri
metropolis, during the Christmas
celebration.
The statement which was made
available to journalists on Tuesday
said the Nigerian Army, Division 7,
Maiduguri, in consultation with the
Borno State government and other
security agencies had decided to
ban all forms of vehicular
movement in the state from 6pm
on Wednesday, December 24, to
7am on Sunday, December 28,
2014.
The statement however added that
the directive excluded those on
essential services, such as medical
services, fire service and the media
who were duly authorised by their
establishments.
It also explained that the measure
became necessary in order to
further safeguard lives and
properties of law-abiding citizens
in the state.
The military also wished the
people of the state a hitch-free
celebration. It also appealed to the
members of the public to be more
vigilant and security conscious
throughout the period and report
any suspicious person or
movement to the nearest security
agency.
It assured all law abiding citizens
that the military was doing all it
could to root out terrorists from
the society while calling for
continued support and
understanding in the fight against
Boko Haram insurgency and
terrorism in the state and the
country at large.
Atiku, in a goodwill message by
his media office in Abuja on
Wednesday, said that irrespective
of the difficult challenges facing
the country, Christians and indeed
all Nigerians should celebrate the
Yuletide with hope and prayers
that God would heal our land.
“Our country is in trouble of
maladministration marked by
insecurity, but we should still
celebrate Christmas with hope,
because it is a season of joy. We
should celebrate it with prayers
and deep reflections. God will heal
our land and we shall prosper
again,’’ the former Vice President
said.
Atiku urged Nigerians irrespective
of their faith to promote peace and
harmonious coexistence for the
unity, stability, progress and
development of our nation.
He wished Nigerians and all the
people of goodwill a merry
Christmas.
Oshiomhole, in a message on
Tuesday, said that the state
government had updated payment
of workers’ salaries, at a time
when many states were unable to
pay salaries in arrears of three to
four months.
The governor advised Nigerians to
rise above ethnicity, religious
preference and clannish
inclinations used by unpatriotic
persons to exploit and divide
them.
He also urged them not to forget
that poverty and bad governance
were not defined by religion or
ethnicity but by inefficient
leadership.
“Despite the economic hardship
and lean resources accruing to the
state from the federation account,
the good news is that the state
government has paid all workers in
the state civil service, including
the teachers and their salaries for
December 2014 to enable them to
enjoy the Yuletide with their loved
ones.
“This is in contrast to what
obtains in many states of the
federation, especially the Peoples
Democratic Party-controlled
states, where workers are being
owed salaries in arrears of three,
four months and even, in some
cases, up to eight months.”