‘We are grateful’— Ndume reacts to rescue of 360 kidnapped victims by Nigerian Army

Former Senate Leader Ali Ndume has reacted to the gallantry of men of the Nigerian Army in securing the release of residents of the Ngoshe community from the captivity of the insurgents.

Recall that the Nigerian Army rescued 360 victims at the weekend who had been in captivity since last March and were rescued on Saturday by security forces.

Senator Ndume, in a statement on Sunday, hailed the military for the rescue operation. 

He described the weekend onslaught against the insurgents as remarkable.

He said, “We must applaud the professionalism and spectacular patriotism of men and officers of the Nigerian Army who continue to exhibit outstanding courage in the face of obvious logistical challenges.

“We are grateful to the Theatre Commander Operation Hadin Kai, the GOC 7th Division Maiduguri, and the Brigade Commander 26TF Brigade, Gwoza, Borno State.

He further urged the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to complement the military efforts with interventions for the victims. 

“We urge the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs to also rise to the occasion. It should seize the initiative to complement the efforts of the Borno State government in rebuilding Ngoshe. 

“From my findings, with military presence in Ngoshe, the people want to leave the internally displaced persons’ camps if the community can be made habitable for them.

“We must also commend the director general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar, for the release of relief materials to the displaced people.. 

“We urge the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs to also rise to the occasion. It should seize the initiative to complement the efforts of the Borno State government in rebuilding Ngoshe. 

“From my findings, with military presence in Ngoshe, the people want to leave the internally displaced persons’ camps if the community can be made habitable for them.”