The Nigerian police and the Military found themselves Monday night engaged in a blame game, over which of them was in charge of Dapchi town security in Yobe State, when the Boko Haram invaders came last week Monday to steal 110 schoolgirls at the Girls Technical College.
President Muhammadu Buhari called the abduction of the girls a national disaster and has vowed to do everything possible to rescue the girls from Boko Haram.
Called out by Governor Ibrahim Gaidam that it abandoned the town to the Boko Haram, the army said the accusation was misleading as its troops handed over the security of the town to the police.
The Police have now promptly debunked the military claim.
In a statement by the Yobe Police Commissioner Sumonu A. Abdulmaliki, the police claimed they were not in charge of security as the army claimed.
Abdulamaliki said the army did “not formally hand over the security of Dapchi Town”, to the police.
“The attention of the Yobe State Police Command has been drawn to Press Statement from Headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole subscribing that “Dapchi has been relatively calm and peaceful and the security of Dapchi town was formally handed over to the Nigeria Police Division located in the town”.
“The statement by the Military of formal handing over of Dapchi town to the Nigeria Police Division in Dapchi is not correct and untrue, as there was no time that the military informed the Police of their withdrawal, consult or handed over their locations in Dapchi town to the Police.
“The whole of Yobe State is still under Security Emergency which the Police, the Military and other security agencies are battling to ensure lasting peace.
“Members of the public in Yobe State are implored to disregard and discountenance this claim that the Military formally handed the security of Dapchi town to the Nigeria Police as untrue, unfounded and misleading.
“The Yobe State Police Command will continue to cooperate with other security agencies in ensuring safety and protection of lives and property of people of Yobe State”.
Col. Onyeama Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Operation LAFIYA DOLE, in a statement issued in Maiduguri, said the allegation against the military “is not only unfortunate, but also very far from the truth”.
Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam had reportedly alleged that the withdrawal of the troops from the area was responsible for the attack and abduction of female students of the college.
Nwachukwu said that Dapchi town was handed over to the police following the return of peace and civil authority in the area.
“Contrary to the comments credited to Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam, troops earlier deployed in Dapchi were redeployed to reinforce Kanama following attacks on troops’ location at the Nigerian-Nigerien border.
“This is on the premise that Dapchi has been relatively calm and peaceful, and the security of Dapchi was formally handed over to the Nigeria Police Division located in the town.” (NAN)
