MUBI/VIMTIM – President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday, paid a surprise visit to Mubi and Vimtim towns of Adamawa State to boost the morale of the soldiers of 155 Special Task Force battalion fighting a war against dreaded Islamist Boko Haram insurgents in the north east of Nigeria.
The President’s visit followed successes recorded by troops of the Nigerian military in the battle to dislodge hundreds of Boko Haram terrorists from swaths of Adamawa State communities.
President Jonathan tour of the war zone was part of his efforts to fulfill the promise he had earlier made to Nigerians, that his administration will flush out the Boko Haram insurgents before the coming general elections.
He assured the troops that the federal government was fully behind them and appreciative of their gallantry, and that more equipment needed to stamp out terrorism menace in the country were on the way
The president further announced plans by his administration to provide succour for the injured among them and the bereaved families.
President Jonathan who landed in Yola International Airport around 11 am amidst tight security boarded a helicopter to Mubi along with Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police.
The president’s chopper landed at the Mubi army barracks from where the president rode in a motorcade to the palace of the emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Isa to meet with the emir and the Mubi Emirate Council.
At the palace, President Jonathan sympathized with and strengthen the morale of the people of Mubi over the loss of their love ones and properties destroyed by the insurgents.
From the emir’s palace, the motorcade headed for Vimtim village, the home town of Chief of Defence Staff, Chief Air Marshall Alex Badeh, who was also in the president’s entourage and held a closed door meeting with the three Service Chiefs who were already in Vimtim Village ahead of the president.
Mubi is the second largest town in Adamawa and it is among those recently recaptured from Boko Haram by the military
Security sources volunteered that on sighting the president, morale of the troops went high especially when he told them that the prestige of the Nigerian military which was never in doubt particularly regarding the fight against insurgency was now receiving praise all over.
Supported by by the Nigerian Airforce aerial cover, the troops have so far cleared scores of Book Haram terrorists from seven out of eight Local government Areas including Mubi, Michika, Hong and Maiha LG’s, Adamawa State in the troubled North East of Nigeria.
President Goodluck Jonathan.
