The Presidency on Wednesday justified President Mumammadu Buhari’s decision to go ahead with a planned trip outside Nigeria, to participate in the International Development Association (IDA) for Africa Summit in Dakar, Senegal, amidst recent terror attacks at home.
A day earlier, there was a terrorist attack on a convoy of vehicles of the Advance Team of security guards, protocol and media officers of the President, on its way to Daura, Katsina State ahead of Buhari’s scheduled visit for the upcoming Sallah holiday. Two persons were injured in the attack.
The attackers opened fire on the convoy from ambush positions but were repelled by the military, police and DSS personnel accompanying the convoy, the statement signed by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said.
Similarly, Boko Haram terrorists launched a ferocious attack on Kuje Correctional Center Tuesday night, deploying bombs, Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) and General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), freeing no less than 600 inmates, including Boko Haram fighters detained at the facility.
Six inmates and one security personnel were killed during the attack.
With both incidents coming barely few hours prior to Buhari’s departure to Senegal, his insistence on the trip has raised criticisms from Nigerians who described the decision as insensitive to the people’s insecurity predicament.
Reacting to this while fielding questions from State House correspondents, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said shelving the scheduled trip would tantamount to surrendering to the whims and caprices of the terrorists.
“Yes, the President should go! Because there’s an international conference meant for heads of states and presidents, he should attend. You should never give in to terrorists.
“The moment terrorists begin to stop you from doing things, then we might as well throw up our hands in surrender. The President should go ahead. Yes, it’s an international obligation”, he said.
President Buhari is expected back in the country at the end of the summit on Thursday.
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