The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division, Nigerian Army, Brig-Gen. Abdulwahab Eyitayo has urged Boko Haram to shun violence for peace to reign in the Northeast. The 12-year insurgency has killed 40,000 people with property worth $9.2 billion (N3.42 trillion) destroyed in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. Eyitayo made the call Sunday at a lunch organised for the media at Wolf Officers’ Mess, Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
“You should continue to partner with the Nigerian Army to end the Boko Haram insurgency that has claimed many lives,” he said, stating that he had been in theatre command several times for the counter-insurgency operations. He said that the experience he had with the media was on a nasty note in 2015 at Baga, Borno state. He lamented that none of the media outfits was able to report the arrest of Boko Haram suppliers, except the BBC; barely 30 minutes after the suspect’s arrest. According to him, there was a suspected logistic supplier to the Boko Haram terrorists in the Lake Chad region. On how the suspect was arrested, he said: “It took me three months to stop this man. You can imagine those who know the difficult terrains of Baga on the shores of the lake. “I advanced towards the remote communities, where the suspect was supplying relief items to terrorists, when they were rounded up.
“A few of them stopped the Boko Haram boys, then we grabbed our brother alive.” He said the arrested suspect is an indigent of Niger state, but was born in the Lake Chad region. He added that he was directed by the Theatre Commander to export the suspect down to Maiduguri, over 200 kilometres from Baga. He noted that three months after his return to the theatre, there had never been any bad reporting. “This gathering is to appreciate the media for the positive reportage on the ongoing counter-terrorism operations,” he said. He said the synergy of being a Nigerian is more in the people; rather than see that they will just come and fight the war and go.
He said that some of them have become part and parcel of greater Nigerians. On the state of operations, he said: “For some time now; you’re seen that there has been increased pressure mounted on these bad boys. He noted that some of them are coming closer to town and other settlements, while some of them are on one to one warfare. According to him, they will come when it is peaceful, maybe because of what they must eat to survive. Besides, he added; “They will go back and steal the khaki and a camouflage look for what they are going to eat for a little while. He said when they get little money, they will drop the uniform again and come to join the insurgency fight. He said this has been the thing that is making the war protracted, particularly in Borno and Yobe states.
On apprehending the terrorists, he said: “If somebody does not have an insight into what we are to prepare to go to the remote areas; and alerted people that the insurgents are coming out from the bushes; most of them would have been apprehended long ago.” Continuing, he added: “We’re not here for bloodletting. Nobody is happy when people are dying, but when you do your write-ups; as some of the terrorists are reading what you’re writing.” He therefore, appealed to the insurgents to shun violence for peace to reign in the northeast. He said they should talk to those people who are there; rather than continue to supply terrorists with things that are going to keep them for a little while. “Why can’t the terrorists come back and marry up with the people in communities for peace to reign?” Eyitayo asked. He assured that they are going to be forgiven. The GOC also noted that as reconciliation is not just a day’s job, but it starts with a psychological operation. He said that the war may not end, by giving the insurgents what they need to sustain the fight in the region.
