Ndubuisi Ugah with agency reports 
In a bid to reaffirm its stronghold on Damasak and other Boko Haram-prone areas in Borno State, the Minister of Defence, Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd), alongside the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor and other service chiefs, yesterday arrived in Maiduguri on an assessment visit.
New Telegraph gathered that the visit was part of efforts by the nation’s security personnelto reassureresidents of Borno State and Nigerians in general that the activities of Boko Haram and other insurgent groups were under serious security check.
It was also gathered that the minister and his team had a closed-door meeting with component commanders at the theatre headquarters dur ing the visit. On the sideline of the visit, suspected bandits on Saturday, attacked the Chairman of Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State,
Mr. Shoban Tikari, where his police orderly was reportedly killed. However, Magashi and his team were received at the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri.
Speaking at the reception in honour of the team, the Theatre Commander, Maj.-Gen. Farouq Yahaya, commended the sustained commitment shown to the operations of the theatre by the minister, chief of defence staff and also service chiefs.
He said the troops were grateful for the visit of Magashi to interact with them, also noting that immediately after their appointments, the service chiefs, led by the chief of defence staff, visited the theatre and had been doing so regularly Yahaya explained that apart from collective visits by the service chiefs, led by the chief of defence staff, the service chiefs also visited individually to ensure smooth operations.
Meanwhile, itwasgathered that a police orderly attached to Tikari was killed by suspected bandits; who opened fire on the chairman’s vehicle in Dogo-Gawa village in Takum Local Government Area of the state. Reports stated that the deceased policeman was of the 67 Mobile Police Squadron, located in the area.
Tikari, who confirmed the attack, said the militia, in their numbers, launched an attack on his motorcade. He disclosed that the incident happened while on his way to Takum; claiming the life of the deceased in the process.
The council chairman, who declined giving the name of the deceased, however, called on the Federal Government to deploy more security personnel to the area. Takum and Wukari councils in southern Taraba, had in recent times witnessed a surge of bandits’ attacks; leading to the death of civilians and security personnel.
