By: Gbenga Akingbule
Nigeria Army on Friday reiterated its commitment to ending the 13-year-old Boko Haram war by the end of the year and assured that the morale of its officers and Soldiers have been boosted towards archiving the target.
Gatekeepers News reports that the war had led to the death of thousands of people, leaving many homeless and communities destroyed. But the Army says its new approach to ending war is yielding positive results and that the narrative is fast changing to the delight of all security forces battling to end the war in the North-East Region.
At an interactive meeting, the first of its kind with reporters in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, the Theatre Commander (TC) of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), Maj. General Christopher Musa gave pictorial evidence of gains of the renewed strategy of decimating the ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists.
General Musa took ample time to engage journalists where he reel out many of the recent victories achieved by the theatre noting that the huge success recorded is due to the dynamic and innovative leadership of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya.
Musa Maintained that the Army and its Air and Maritime components alongside other security agencies charged with the responsibility of prosecuting the Boko Haram war in the North East Region will continue to synergise and not relent until all nooks and crannies of the theatre are cleared of ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists.
Already, the new strategy employed by the Army which the Theatre Commander kept close to his chest has both the Kinetic and none Kinetic approaches – so far, 50,801 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists and their families have surrendered between September 2021 to date.
However, there’s no cause for alarm says the TC with regards to the reintegration of Boko Haram ex-fighters. He said detailed profiling is being carried out and none of the surrendered combatants is being released to their communities.
“We always identify the fighters whenever they surrender and we separate and take them to different camps. None of the combatants will be released for now until the Federal Government takes the final decision on their matter,” General Musa said.
Apart from the superior firepower and renewed strategy by the Army and other security forces, another factor responsible for the huge number of Surrendered Boko Haram is the continued infighting between different camps of the terrorist groups
The death of the leader of the Boko Haram terrorist group Abubakar Shekau, according to the Army, led to serious infighting and struggle for new leadership.
“After the death of Shekau, the ISWAP group with the aid of foreign mercenaries wanted to coerce the Shekau”s people to join them but their ideology, aims and objectives were different and that was how the infighting started. Here you have a particular group trying to overwhelm the other, Shekau’s group had two options- stay and continue fighting or surrender, so far, 50,801 of them have surrendered,” Col. Obinna Azuikpe, the Theatre Command Intelligence Coordinator who also at the interactive meeting, said.
Col Azuikpe added that troops under Operation Desert Sanity conducted 9,163 patrols, 5,553 ambushes and 1,006 clearance operations. He said a total of 126 Boko Haram and ISWAP were neutralised in recent operations.
Azuikpe revealed that 81 attacks were carried out by Boko Haram and ISWAP where Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) were utilised by the terrorists between January and March 2022. He said the Army and other security forces were able to stand their ground.
“The terrorists usually take advantage of the failed portion of the reopened roads to plant IEDs,” Azuikpe added that ” ten soldiers had paid the supreme price.”
While commending troops for the renewed vigour in taking out the ISWAP /Boko Haram terrorists, the TC said the welfare of troops will continue to receive due attention. He said the Army is implementing new measures on troops rotation.
“What we’re doing now is that, anybody who is posted to the Theatre- Officers or Soldiers should spend not more than two years and within the two years, every three of four months he should go on the pass and its working on well, ” the TC said.
He expressed optimism that the renewed spirit within the Theatre of operation and the renewed synergy within the military, the days of Boko Haram/ISWAP are already numbered.
“From the indices, we’re seeing with regards to the success stories if we continue the way we’re doing now, God willing, this year, we will put this (war) to an end. The Chief of Army Staff is doing so well, the President, Minister of Defense, the Chief of Defense Staff and other Service Chiefs are supporting him,” the Theatre Commander assured.
