Nigerians can’t force Buhari to sack service chiefs — Garba Shehu

Anyone can say whatever they like about Nigeria’s security chiefs, but nobody can force President Muhammadu Buhari into firing them.

This is according to Buhari’s media aide Garba Shehu.

Shehu was responding to widespread calls for the service chiefs to be given the boot after suspected Boko Haram terrorists reportedly slit the throats of at least 110 farmes on Borno rice fields.

Facing growing insecurity, Nigerians have been urging the president to fire the service chiefs. The calls grew louder after the Borno masscre.

But Shehu, who drew public outrage after blaming the killing on the rice farmers for farming without military clearance, says the clamour for the sacking of the service chiefs is out of place.

“I am not aware that the tenure of service chiefs is subjected to any law or regulation that is clearly stated,” Shehu said during a TV appearance on Monday.

“They serve at the pleasure of the president and (if) the president is satisfied with their performance, he keeps them.

“The buck stops on his table — with due respect to the feelings of Nigerians.

“The clamour for the sack is out of place considering that the president is not subject to the opinion of opposition political party which has clamoured for this all the time.

“It is entirely his own determination; he decides who he keeps as his service chiefs and for how long.”