Buhari meets Dasuki, to visit Niger, Chad

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday held a closed-door meeting with the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki(retd.).

It was learnt that the meeting, which held at the Defence House, Abuja, was aimed at assessing the security situation in the country against the backdrop of renewed attacks by the Boko Haram sect.

Investigations also revealed that the meeting centred on ways of carrying out the President's plan on the relocation of the military central command to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.Buhari, had in his inaugural speech said, 'The command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain until Boko Haram is completely subdued. But we cannot claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents.”

After the meeting with the President on Monday, Dasuki, however, declined comments when approached by reporters.

The President's media office, however, announced that Buhari would on Wednesday and Thursday visit Niger and Chad in furtherance of his overall desire to subdue the sect.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Malam Garba Shehu, said the President's visit would centre on ways to end the Boko Haram menace.

This will be the President's first official visit outside the country since assuming office.

According to Shehu, the two-day trip will focus on 'matters of security', because Nigeria needs the cooperation of its neighbours to succeed in its campaign against the terrorist sect, whose activities have so far claimed an estimated 15,000 lives since 2009.

He said, 'Buhari will go the Niger Republic on Wednesday and will spend a night there before proceeding to Chad the next day (Thursday).'

There are indications that the President will hold a meeting with the Service Chiefs within the next few days.

The service chiefs, who were appointed on January 16, 2014, are the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh; the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Kenneth Minimah; the Naval Chief, Vice Admiral Jibrin Usman , and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu. Punch