Rep warns against withdrawing troops from N’East

A member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Adamu Kamale, on Wednesday kicked against plans by the Federal Government to pull out troops from the North-East in 2017 on the excuse that the Boko Haram insurgents had been weakened.

Kamale, who hails from Adamawa State, represents Michika/Madagali Federal Constituency, two of the worst-hit local governments in the state by Boko Haram attacks.

The lawmaker, who said the insurgents were still “very active in operation,” warned that Boko Haram would simply return to re-occupy Madagali should the troops pull out.

He also stated that the two local governments, particularly Madagali, could be lost permanently to the insurgents if the government withdrew the troops.

Kamale said, “The situation today is such that government should deploy more troops in Madagali; nothing has changed much. Insurgents are still very active, kidnapping women and children and raping them.

“If the government contemplates withdrawing troops, it means insurgents will simply take over Madagali as a permanent territory.”

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, had hinted on December 12 of a plan to pull out troops from the North-East in January on the grounds that the war against insurgency would have been won.