The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has given the assurance that the end of the terrorists group, Boko Haram, is near.
He gave this assurance just as he called on the troops to be determined in order to see the end of the terrorists.
Buratai who addressed the troops of the 8 Division at Monguno, headquarters of Monguno Local Government Area of Borno said although there were still attacks by Boko Haram, there were clear signals that its end was near.
“We must remain here to stabilise it.
“You all know that we have some few attacks here and there by the same elements – Boko Haram, but I assured you that their days are numbered.
“With your efforts, with your determination, we will finally overcome the Boko Haram challenge,’’ he said.
Buratai, while praising the division for living up to their billing in containing the terrorists stressed that all they needed to do was stabilise in order to ward off any future attempt by the terrorists.
His words: “I want to say that this division has lived up to its expectation of containing the Boko Haram challenge in this part of the country.
“What remains is for us to continue to stabilise and continue to operate, to prevent any element that may raise their heads in the future.
“This part of the country or this part of the region, especially the Lake Chad region has always been volatile.
“That is why members of the Lake Chad Commission created the Multinational Joint Task Force.
“So, we will see ourselves performing similar duties even after the final clearance of the Boko Hartam terrorists,’’ Buratai added.
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The Chief of Army staff also addressed the issue of discipline.
He warned that indiscipline would not be condoned.
He stressed that as members of the communities returned home, they should be allowed to enjoy their freedom of doing business or engaging in other activities.
He said anyone found to be engaged in any form of distraction or extortion of the people would be severely dealt with.
“We do not want any distraction. Trading in fish or cattle, if anyone – soldier, is caught, he is going to be dealt with according to the law.
“You are here to maintain the peace, you are here to perform your duties as soldiers; you are here not to trade or do any other business.
“Very soon, those that are in the IDPs camps will go back to their homes and re-establish themselves and the economic activities will increase.
“Do not fall into that temptation to be involved (in trading),’’ he warned.
It would be recalled that the 8 Division was created as a task force in 2016 to boost military operations against the Boko Haram menace, particularly in the Lake Chad region.
But the division will move to Sokoto State in the North West, where it would be operationalised soon, according to Buratai.
NAN also reports the army chief visited one of the camps in Monguno, holding 20, 000 IDPs and donated some relief materials, including food items, detergents and clothes to them.
He used the opportunity to address the elderly men and women IDPs in the camp, including the 700 recently rescued by troops during operations in the Chad basin.
A total of 2, 700 captives were rescued in the last one week.
While 700 were rescued on Tuesday, 2,000 were freed on Thursday morning after intensive artillery and aerial bombardment of the terrorists’ enclaves in the Lake Chad region.
