The Buhari Media Support Group has condemned alleged attempts by supporters of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to play politics with the recent killing of seven soldiers by the Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.
In a statement on Wednesday, the group said that the former president’s supporters were using the incident to “raise extraneous issues of equipment purchase under the Jonathan administration”.
The seven soldiers died on November 4 in an ambush laid by the Boko Haram fighters at Mallam Fatori in the northernmost part of Borno State.
Among the dead was Lieutenant Colonel Muhammed Abu Ali, the Commanding Officer of 272 Tank Battalion of the Nigerian Army, reputed as the army’s bravest fighter in the ongoing war on Boko Haram.
The statement said: “BMSG mourns the death of Lt. Col Mohammed Abu-Ali and six other soldiers.
“But we condemn, in strong terms, the attempt by some Jonathan’s supporters to use the unfortunate demise to raise extraneous issues of equipment purchase under his administration.
“The group berates the supporters for not honouring the dead soldiers who sacrificed their lives while defending the country.”
The group noted that under the prevailing emotional circumstances what was expected of patriotic Nigerians, including Jonathan’s supporters was to show empathy with the dead, their families and institutions they represent.
It also disclosed: “It is the height of insensitivity for any person or group to descend to the ignoble level of pointing fingers at this moment of national mourning over issues related to equipment purchase.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the purported equipment purchased under the Jonathan administration were refurbished T72 tanks from the Warsaw pact countries.
“They were manufactured before the Second World War as evidenced in the video footage posted in the Vanguard newspaper of November 7, 2016.
“This is similar to other equipment like the decommissioned Alpha jets and MI 25 helicopters.
“The use of those equipment led to the death of several officers and men as they kept falling off from the sky during operations against Boko Haram in the North East.
“BMSG views with disdain the approach of some political elements to always attempt to draw any seeming benefits of the past.
“These are the same people calling on the present administration not to make reference to the misdeeds and misrule of the past.
“We join all Nigerians in condoling with the families of the bereaved and enjoin all Nigerians to continue to support the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to completely eradicate the menace of Boko Haram.”
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