Rattled by the recent killings of the Commanding Officer of the 272 Special Task Force Task Battalion, Lt. Col. Muhammad Abu-Ali and six soldiers by members of Boko Haram, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) is mulling over whether to reach out to President Muhammadu Buhari on the urgent need to recall the South African mercenaries recruited by former President Goodluck Jonathan to help finish off the terror group.
Sources, who spoke from both the presidency and DHQ yesterday in Abuja, said some Army Chiefs have decided to impress it on the president that the sophisticated weapons the South African mercenaries possess could help in “finishing off members of Boko Haram” that has witnessed a resurgence in the war between the terrorists and Nigerian troops.
It was gathered that members of Boko Haram might have experienced a boost, especially after they received a huge payout from the presidency for the release of 21 Chibok girls recently.
In the last few weeks, there has been an upsurge of suicide bombings linked to Boko Haram. The terror group has also killed several Nigerian troops fighting in the North-east, including Abu-Ali and his men, who were given a national burial at the military cemetery, Abuja on Monday.
