Barring any last-minute changes, there are strong indications that the Federal Government may begin the planned gradual withdrawal of soldiers from some states in February, investigations by Saturday PUNCH have revealed.

Top military sources told Saturday PUNCH that in the first round of the exercise, the withdrawal would take place in the north-western states of Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa and some parts of Kaduna.

Others are some states in the North-Central region, including Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, some parts of Niger and a north-eastern state, Taraba.

Some of the states were among the worst-hit by herdsmen and farmers’ clashes, banditry, kidnapping and internal conflicts since 2015.

The sources noted that the reason for the withdrawal was because relative calm had returned to the zones,No especially the Middle Belt, and that troops deployed on special operations in some of the states might be trimmed.

The scheduled commencement of the exercise is in disregard of the appeals by some state governors to the Federal Government not to withdraw troops from their states.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, had at the end of a security council meeting, presided over by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Monday, told State House correspondents that the planned withdrawal in the first quarter of the year was to allow the military to focus on its primary duty of defending the nation against external aggression and to respond to new security challenges.

One of the new challenges is said to be the growing threats posed by the Islamic State West Africa Province, now working in collaboration with Boko Haram insurgents.

ISWAP had on Christmas Day executed 11 hostages, 10 of whom were Christians, to avenge the death of their leaders, Abu bakr al-Baghdadi and Abul-Hasan Al-Muhajir, in Iraq and Syria, respectively, during a US military operation.

The naval chief, who declined to name the states or the geopolitical zones that would be affected, explained that the withdrawal would be done after an assessment of the situation on the ground, to determine areas where peace had returned to enable civil authorities to assume full control of security of lives and property in such places.

He said the council decided that in place of the military, the Nigeria Police Force, which has the primary responsibility of providing internal security, would assume its duties fully in such areas and that they would be supported by officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

The President reassured Nigerians that before the troop withdrawal, an assessment of the situation by the military would precede it to determine whether the troops should leave a particular community.

The statement added, “He (the President) urged Nigerians, especially public affairs analysts, to carefully study the statement following a security council meeting with service chiefs that the withdrawal of troops will be done after an ‘assessment’ to determine areas where peace had returned to enable civil authorities assume full control.

President Buhari said where it is determined that the withdrawal will not in any way jeopardise peace already achieved, the military pull out will be in a careful and gradual way.”
http://news-af.feednews.com/news/detail/fab4682599d45756c60597e7503d1e46?client=news

We are finished

Good move, but the FG must set aside a force to keep balance in those states.

what of Bornu ?

ghettokid1:
We are finished

no you are finished