It is our wish and we pray God gives that to us, but war is war. War sometimes is not fought on some platforms of permutations,” he said.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, briefed President Jonathan and members of the National Security Council about the commission’s preparedness to conduct the forthcoming general election.

Jega, who emerged from the meeting after his presentation at about 2.20 p.m. while the rest of the session went on well into Tuesday evening, declined to respond to newsmen’s questions, as he merely said: “I believe it went well.”

Present at the meeting were vice president, Namadi Sambo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim; Chief of Staff to the President, General Jones Arogbofa; National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki; Attorney-General of the Federation, Muhammed Adoke; Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan; Minister of Interior, Mr Abba Moro and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali.

Others in attendance were Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu; Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba; as well as heads of the Department of State Security and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).