Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has ordered the military to continue search and rescue missions to locate and ensure the freedom of the remaining abducted persons that were carrying out their duties to the nation in the Lake Chad basin frontier exploration.
Professor Osinbajo condemned the appalling ambush, attack and abduction of the civilians and soldiers and ordered their rescue using all available and expedient means in the circumstances.
He said the objective of the patriotic exercise was to open up new areas for oil exploration for the common good of all Nigerians.
The terrorist attack resulted had led to the death of a number of hardworking and innocent Nigerians as well as the abduction of others.
Professor Osinbajo commiserated with the families, relatives, and associates of those who lost their lives in the despicable onslaught and wished the injured speedy recovery.
The Acting President, after an emergency meeting with the military chiefs on Thursday, issued fresh directives to the Nigerian military and all security agencies to immediately scale-up their efforts and activities in Borno State in order to maintain an effective control of the situation and secure lives and property.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo, however, commended the military for the progress already recorded with the rescue of some of the abducted persons.
He ordered the continuation of search and rescue missions to locate and ensure the freedom of all remaining abducted persons as soon as possible, adding that justice would be pursued for the victims and against those who engage in such unacceptable, criminal and terrorist acts.
The Acting President also paid tribute to the resilience, courage, and bravery of officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces for their gallant endeavors and sacrifices for the peace, security and territorial integrity of the nation.
He praised the soldiers who have paid the ultimate price in the mission and others linked to the current insurgency and gave a firm assurance that the welfare of the families of the soldiers would be prioritised.
He also commended the diligence of the management and staff of the NNPC, and the lecturers/consultants from the University of Maiduguri in supporting the Federal Government’s resolve to grow Nigeria’s current crude oil reserve base through potential exploration in the Lake Chad Basin.
“Some of these extraordinarily selfless Nigerians from the NNPC and the University Of Maiduguri put their lives on the line that we and generations to come will enjoy the resources of this land. We will never forget that sacrifice”
The Acting President further assured the people of Borno State, the North-East region, and all Nigerians that the government was not only on top of the situation but would define the end of the atrocities by winning the war and winning the peace in the North-East.
