NIGERIA’S BUHARI SACKS MILITARY CHIEFS, SPOKESMAN CONFIRMS

Abuja, 27 Ramadhan 1436/14 July 2015 (MINA) – President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked the country’s military chiefs in an apparent bid to restructure the army before tackling the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria’s volatile northeast.

“That is correct,” presidential spokesman Garba Shehu told Anadolu Agency on Monday afternoon when asked to confirm the raft of dismissals.

An official statement announcing the decision – which will include the names of the new military chiefs – is currently “being worked on,” Shehu said, Anadolu Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

According to military sources, dismissed officers include National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki; Chief of Defense Staff Alex Badeh; Chief of Army Staff Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff Adesola Amosu; and Chief of Air Staff Usman Jibrin.

Many Nigerians, including security analysts, have long called for a shake-up among Nigeria’s top brass, which they criticize for failing to rein in Boko Haram.

Attacks by the notorious militant group have spiked in recent weeks, with over 400 people killed across the northern region since Buhari assumed the presidency on May 29. (T/P001/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)