President Muhammadu Buhari Monday in Abuja directed the Nigerian Army to withdraw soldiers from military check-points in relatively secure parts of the country and concentrate more on ending the Boko Haram insurgency.

Speaking at a meeting with the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs and Heads of National Security Agencies, President Buhari said, however, that military check-points could be retained in areas outside the North-Eastern states where the military considered them absolutely essential for the maintenance of national security.

Reaffirming his administration’s total commitment to ending the Boko Haram insurgency in the shortest possible time, the President welcomed the progress report he was given on the implementation of his order that the Military Command Control Centre be relocated to Maiduguri.

President Buhari who, in keeping with the declared priorities of his government, made the meeting with defence and security chiefs the top item on his schedule on his first day at work in the Presidential Villa, also expressed satisfaction at the progress made so far in the implementation of the decision of the Lake Chad Basin Commission to fast-track the deployment of the Multinational Joint Task Force based in Ndjamena.

The defence and security chiefs who met with the President and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for over three and half hours, also briefed them on the refurbishment of existing military platforms and the acquisition of new weapons for the Armed Forces.