Nigeria @ 61: Military restates commitment to end Boko Haram, banditry
- The military has declared that the activities of dreaded Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria would soon come to an end
- General Lucky Irabor, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), made the disclosure on Wednesday, September 29, at a dialogue
- The CDS, however, advised the media to be careful in the reportage of the operation of the military activities in the country
FCT, Abuja - The Nigerian Armed Force has assured the people of the country that the activities of Boko Haram insurgents and bandits would soon be a thing of the past.
Legit.ng reports that the assurance was given on Wednesday, September 29, by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, at an Open Ears Press Dialogue 2, organised via zoom.
Source: Facebook
In his response to the questions posed by the participants, Irabor said the military would not rest on its oars, saying that they need to engage other stakeholders to end the insurgency in the country.
Attack on the Nigeria Defence Academy
Irabor noted that what happened at the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) was a bandit attack, saying that the bandits wanted to take advantage of the lapses they observed.
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He lamented that some men were killed during the attack as he added that the public has been briefed about the details of what happened at the NDA.
No division in the Armed Forces
Speaking on the alleged division in the Army, the Chief of Defence Staff urged the media to be careful in the reportage of the operation of the Military as regards the fight against insurgency in the country.
He said some comments do not promote unity and cohesion among Nigerians, saying that reports about the division in the Armed Forces are false, incorrect and misleading.
Irabor said:
"I want to make an appeal that a broken Armed Forces is not good for the country. It will be ill-advised to write that there is division among the Military. I want to assure you that we are united."
Responding to the question of why the Military is yet to end insurgency and banditry in Nigeria, Irabor noted that the traditional duty of the military is to protect the territorial integrity of the country.
He said the Military is only a part of the solutions to insecurity in the country, saying that it would be improper to assume that the Military is the only solution because it is at the forefront of the war.
Military's plan for last quarter of the year
Speaking on the activities of the military to tame insurgents and bandits during the last quarter of the year, Irabor said the security architecture would be strengthened in order to ensure the safety of lives and property of Nigerians.
Irabor noted:
"We are going to strengthen our security operatives to ensure all operations remain effective. We will take stock of our activities since January 2021 and look at how to improve on the achievements in the coming year.
"This is a period of review and we are going to canvass for more support in terms of finances to ensure that the operational engagement becomes more effective.
"Many people have advised that the Military should go technology but the truth of the matter is that can't be achieved by words of mouth but by finances."
The Defence chief urged Nigerians to always support the Military and other security agencies, especially the police in the fight against the insurgents and bandits.
Why press must be objective, factual
General Irabor, who commended the impacts of the Nigerian journalist in their timely report of events, appealed that the media organization must always verify the authenticity of their reports before going into the press to avoid misleading the public.
He noted:
"The press must be objective in their reportage, especially when it has to do with the issue of security. This will help the Military to achieve great success in the fight against insurgency and banditry in the country. The Armed Forces will continue to remain focused."
Accidental strike in Yobe state
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Mashal Isiaka Oladayo Amao, while speaking on the victims of an accidental airstrike in Yobe state, said the investigation is ongoing on the incident, noting that the public would be informed when the investigation is completed.
Amao, who was represented by the chief of training and operation, headquarters, Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal James Gwani, said they are in constant communication with the Yobe state government.
He said:
"The investigation is ongoing, it is a painstaking exercise and we are in constant communication with the Yobe state government and the moment the investigation is completed, I am sure Nigerians would be told the outcome.
He added that the procurement of the Super Tucano Aircraft has really helped the Military in the fight against Boko Haram and banditry in the country.
Amao added that there is a misconception about airpower and its role, particularly in the kind of operation the NAF is conducting.
He said:
"The Super Tucano has brought in a lot of bites into the fight and I can tell you for the fact that as we speak now, the airplanes are operating in the northeast, just yesterday, I had a meeting with the commandant out there and the vendor who supplied the airplane to review the operation of the aircraft.
"I can tell you for the fact that there is a positive response as to the effectiveness of the operations of those airplanes in the theatre of the operation. I want to also clarify that airpower alone cannot win this war. It will take collective efforts, like the Chief of Defence Staff has said. The Military, civil society organisations, and all other stakeholders.
"So, while the Super Tucano is going to play a prominent role, we should all know that it cannot win the war alone. It is going to be a collective effort."
The establishment of a base in Kano not to deliver constituency project
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo made a clarification that the establishment of a base in Kano was not meant to deliver a constituency project.
Gambo, who was represented by the Chief of Training and Operations, Rear Admiral Abraham Adaji, said that what the Navy established in Kano is a logistic college, saying that the establishment of the college has thrown up a lot of reactions.
He said the reactions have, however, afforded them the opportunity to shed some light on their establishment across the nation.
The Naval chief noted that the Nigerian Navy has a finance and logistic college that is located in Owerenta, somewhere between Aba and Owerri.
He said:
"This is college is responsible for the training of old personnel in the area of logistics and finance but due to the growth and development, it was considered that the college should be separated and the then the logistic college is now moved to Kano and the finance college remains in Owerenta.
"I want to clarify that it is not only this base that marks our presence in the north, the Nigerian Navy is ably involved in the anti-terrorism and also in the internal security operation across the north."
First batch of Tucano Fighter jets arrive Nigeria
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said the first batch of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft arrived in Kano on the afternoon of Thursday, July 22.
It was reported that the director of NAF public relations and information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, had on July 15, 2021, said the anticipated aircraft had left the United States en route Nigeria.
Gbakwet had said the six aircraft would be leapfrogged through five countries including Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Algeria before arriving at their final destination in Nigeria towards the end of July 2021.
Source: Legit.ng
