Senators should adopt families of the deceased Soldiers – Shehu Sani

A Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, Wednesday said every member of the Nigerian Senate should adopt one family member of each soldier killed by Boko Haram insurgents at Metele, Borno state on November 18.

Sani stated this in the wake of the deadly attack on troops by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a faction of Boko Haram.

“Every senator should adopt one family of the deceased soldiers,” said Sani during plenary.

The attack which reportedly took place around 6 pm on November 18, left at least 40 soldiers died, although troops who survived the assault put the death toll at more than 100.

While reacting to the killings last Saturday, President Muhammadu Buhari praised the fallen soldiers for their “heroic sacrifices” and pledged to work with partners in the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJT) to end the conflict.

The MNJT comprising Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin was set up to fight the Islamist insurgents in the Lake Chad region but despite the gains made by the force, insurgents are still able to launch attacks.

During his visit to Borno on Wednesday, Buhari urged troops to show more commitment to fighting Boko Haram despite the recent setback.

Addressing delegates at an army conference in Maiduguri, the epicentre of the insurgency, Buhari acknowledged the military had done a lot to secure the volatile region.

He also said defeating Boko Haram is “a must-win war”.

The nine-year Boko Haram jihadist rebellion has claimed more than 27,000 lives and forced at least 1.8 million to flee their homes, sparking a dire humanitarian crisis in the region.