Governor Aregbesola Counsels President Jonathan On How To Curb Boko Haram Insurgency

As Nigerians and the world at large continue to pray for the unconditional release of the 276 secondary school girls kidnapped in Chibok, Borno State on 14 April, Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has called on the Federal Government to take action against the country's immediate neighbouring nations.

The former Lagos State commissioner made this staement in Osogbo on Thursday when women in the state led by the First Lady, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola, and the students in the tertiary institutions under the aegis of National Association of Osun State Students (NASS), staged a ‘Free Our Children’ protest to the Governor’s office.

The governor, who said the abduction saga has gone beyond Nigeria’s problem alone, said that Borno State shares border with Cameroun, Niger and Chad and that there is probability that the insurgents may be receiving supports from the countries.

He urged President Goodluck Jonathan to call on the African Union to call a meeting, which will mandate these three countries to cooperate with Nigeria in rooting out insurgency in that axis. He averred that Nigeria should declare war on whichever country that refuses to abide by such resolution and cooperate with it.

 * Governor Aregbesola speaking to protesters in Osun on Thursday

The governor described the present situation the nation has been thrown by the insurgents as terrible , adding that the abduction of hundreds of high school girls in Borno State is a tragedy of huge proportion.

“The problem is now beyond Nigeria alone. I urge the President to co-opt the nation’s neighbours, particularly Cameroun, Niger and Chad, who share border with Borno State.

“Their cooperation in the search for these girls is essential and if they refuse, Nigeria should call on the AU to mandate them to cooperate with Nigeria, failing which the nation should declare war on any country that refuses to abide by such AU resolution,” Aregbesola said.