Jutha Gupah, Damaturu
August 5, 2017.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai has said that Boko Haram
insurgents will continue to remain “technically defeated,” despite
pockets of attacks on soft targets in the Northeast states of Borno
and Yobe.
Buratai disclosed this on Saturday; in an interactive session with
journalists, immediately after a closed door meeting with Governor
Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe state; at Government House, Damaturu.
He said that the sustained onslaughts on insurgents will continue
remain being defeated, as they will never be as strong as they were in
2014 and 2015.
The Chief of Army Staff, before the closed meeting, visited 159
Battalion in Geidam, north of the state capital, Damaturu and
proceeded to a border military base at Kannama.
He tasked the soldiers in the front line to work towards ending Boko
Haram insurgency by clearing remnants of terrorists in the border
areas with Niger.
His words: “I charged all of you in this Battalion to be law abiding
and respect the rules of engagement. The military hierarchy will not
take your welfare issued lightly.
“The military under my leadership will continue to rotate you in
Operation Lafiya Dole; instead of allowing others to over stay in the
war fronts.”
Buratai had last week directed the Theatre Commander, Maj-Gen Ibrahim
Attahiru to work towards capturing the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar
Shekau “dead or alive” within 40 days.
The Military Service Chiefs also last Tuesday, in Maiduguri meet to
re-restrategise on how to end insurgency, following the resurgence of
Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Adamawa states that claimed over 100
lives last month.
