President Goodluck Jonathan and other members of the National Security Council yesterday agreed to extend the state of emergency imposed on three north-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe by another six months.

After a meeting of the council held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and presided over by Jonathan, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, told reporters that the President would soon forward a request for the extension to the National Assembly for approval.

The meeting considered the frequent bombings and attacks carried out by the Boko Haram members in the three north-eastern states.

The council members agreed that peace was far from being achieved and reckoned that extending the emergency rule in the states may just be a way to go.

“We just reviewed the issue of the state of emergency and the government would be requesting the National Assembly to extend the emergency rule,” Adoke stated.

If approved by the National Assembly, it would be the third time that the emergency rule would be extended. The renewal of the state of emergency is done after every six months. The last tranche approved in May expired on Sunday.

On May 14, 2013, President Jonathan declared emergency rule in three aforementioned states, giving sweeping powers to the security forces against the insurgents.

The two chambers of the National Assembly granted the President’s request for the third extension on May 20.

The Constitution is silent on the number of times the president can extend the six-month emergency rule in a state or any part of the federation.

The insurgency in the North-East that has continued despite an announcement of a ceasefire agreement by the Nigerian Government is believed to have called for the extension of the emergency rule.

•Adapted from a Channels TV report. Photo shows Nigeria’s Service Chiefs.