The House of Representatives has yesterday approved President Goodluck Jonathan’s request that the emergency rule earlier declared in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states in May this year, be extended by six months.

The House gave its nod for the extension after a closed door meeting with the Service Chiefs.

The Senate had approved the same request by President Goodluck Jonathan about two weeks ago, even as the Chief of Air Staff, CAS, Air Marshal Alex  Badeh, said that the emergency rule in the three states would not be upheld until  stability was achieved.

Badeh spoke in an interview with journalists in Ilorin, shortly after inspecting the hangar being constructed at Ilorin International Airport and the state-owned International Aviation College in Ilorin, noting that the current state of emergency would last longer than expected.

The Speaker, resuming after about two hours closed door meeting with the military boss, said that having heard from the seniour military officers on the situation in the troubled zone, it was necessary to grant the request by the President.

Consequently, the Leader of the House was invited to move the motion for adoption.

While moving the motion, Adeola said that “recognising the efforts so far made by security agencies deployed to the affected areas in curtailing the activities of insurgents and some security challenges that still exist in some parts of the affected areas; the House of Representatives approve the extension of the proclamation of a state of emergency as contained in the Emergency Power (General) Regulations, 2013 effective in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states to remain in a further period of six months.”

The motion was later put to vote by the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal and it received the nod of the majority of the members.