Nigeria: we are committed to seeing the end of Boko Haram terrorists – Army
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Ibrahim Attahiru, has reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian Army in crushing the Boko Haram terrorists group in the northeast.
The Army Chief made the disclosure on Thursday while briefing journalists, adding that his mission to the 7 Division, Maimala Cantonment/Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri was to visit the injured soldiers.
He noted that the troops remain committed to tackling other security challenges such as banditry and kidnapping, and many other crimes bedeviling the country.
Attahiru said there is no way troops would always claim victory over their enemies, as sometimes, the opposite is the direction.
“We are committed to the focus of the entire operations which is total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
“Troops are committed to ending the war and other security challenges such as banditry and kidnapping among other crimes bedeviling some parts of the country.”
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) also conveyed the goodwill message from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari.
He maintained that President Buhari is committed to providing the soldiers with the needed resources they would require to win the war against the insurgency and other violent groups across the country.
The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major-General Farouq Yahaya on his part, commended the regular visit by the COAS which he said has continued to boost the morale of the soldiers.
“We are honored, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics, and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
The visit of the Army chief to the troubled area came four days after an officer and six others died in a counterinsurgency operation in Mainok, Borno State.
Spokesman of the Army, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima, had on Monday explained that the security personnel was attacked by insurgents mounted on an unconfirmed number of gun trucks, and foot soldiers with the possible intent of establishing a phantom caliphate in Mainok town.
Five other soldiers who sustained various degrees of injuries have been evacuated to the military medical facility for treatment.
During a duel between the troops and the insurgents, the soldiers were said to have lured a number of the terrorists into a killing zone within their camp.
Thereafter, the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole scrambled Alpha jets and helicopter gunboats which took turns to decimate the trapped terrorists, leading to the killing of scores of Boko Haram terrorists.
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