Auno Killings: NLC urges Nigerian military to review Boko Haram strategy

The Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) on Tuesday commiserated with the government and people of Borno State over Sunday’s attack by Boko Haram in which 30 stranded travellers were killed in Auno, a village 24 kilometres away from Maiduguri.

More than 30 travellers, who were locked out of Maiduguri at the military-controlled gate, were killed by the insurgents on Sunday night.

An unidentified number of persons, including women and children, were reported to have been abducted after the attack. A total of 18 vehicles were also set ablaze by the armed group.

In a letter signed by the NLC President,Mr Ayuba Waba, the union commiserated with the governor “and the entire good people of Borno State on the recent gruesome attack by the Boko Haram terrorists at Auno town, which is twenty-four kilometres from Maiduguri metropolis along the Maiduguri – Damaturu Highway.”

Waba said “the attack which took place on Sunday, 9th February 2020 at about 9.30 pm left more than 30 people dead and 18 vehicles burnt. We also understand that scores of children and women were abducted.

“This is the umpteenth time that insurgents would be attacking innocent commuters and villagers along this very important road artery in North-Eastern Nigeria.”

He said the attack was “clearly aimed at undermining the good efforts that your administration and our security forces are making to bring the current wave of terrorism and insurgency in the North East to an end and to restore the peace.”

The labour leader who is from Borno State noted that “at this rate, we have a duty to urge the government and our security services not to be discouraged.”

“It is also important for the government and our security forces to seriously consider adopting an entirely new approach to the fight against terrorism and insurgency especially in a manner that would break the spinal cord of those bent on unleashing mayhem on our people, their livelihoods and our collective sanity. It has now become totally unacceptable to allow blood-sucking marauders to operate for an uninterrupted period of up to four hours without repulsion by our security forces. We must now draw the line!

“The adoption of a new security strategy to the anti-terrorism fight has become acutely necessary given the grave danger that a much more prolonged insurgency portends for the socio-economic survival of our people. There are already fears that the recent upscale in violence along the Maiduguri-Damaturu corridor could be geared at cutting off this critical transportation artery and thus isolating Maiduguri from the rest of the country.

“The humanitarian impact in terms of the supply of food and other basic life-supporting amenities can only be imagined.”

While saluting the efforts of the governor in supporting the security forces to end this carnage, “and bring peace cum accelerated development to the good people of Borno State” the NLC “called for increased vigilance, resilience, grit, discipline, patriotic commitment and innovative solutions by the Federal government, security agencies and citizens to bring this reign of madness and impunity in North-East Nigeria to a conclusive end.”