The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Tukur Yusuf
Buratai has identified measures to end Boko Haram terrorism, armed banditry and
kidnapping bedeviling Nigeria.
Buratai, who reiterated the link between Boko Haram Islamic
State West Africa Province (ISWAP), identified a combined holistic approach by
the countries of the Lake Chad as the surest way to the total defeat of both Boko
Haram and ISWAP.
The Army Chief stated these in Jaji Military Cantonment on
Wednesday as he flagged-off the First Quarter COAS Conference and Combat Arms
Training Week.
Buratai also said for the military and other security
agencies to win the war against kidnapping, robbery and armed banditry ravaging
Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Sokoto states, the media and other stakeholders
must stop glorifying the criminals.
He lamented stakeholders like religious and traditional
leaders, security analysts, and the media portray armed robbers, kidnappers and
ethnic militias as stronger than the military and other security agencies.
The Army boss stated categorically: “The criminals and
bandits are only as strong as the society paints or view them and further
propagated by the media.
“There is no doubt that we are engaged in asymmetric
operations against terrorists side by side with the resurgence of kidnapping
and armed banditry in the North West as well as the North Central Zones of our
country.
“The strategy we used in the past to address such ugly
trends in the South East and the South-South regions must therefore be
rejuvenated with new “out of the box” ideas to address the current security
challenges.
“This has necessitated the launching of OPERATION HARBIN
KUNAMA III. The concept of this operation will require the combat arms as well
as all combat support and combat support services working in synergy with other
security agencies, the traditional institutions, and other stakeholders to get
rid of criminal elements. “
He added: “We must ensure information flow that will be
converted into actionable and timely intelligence for troops to take proactive
measures and to support and drive targeted operations.
“It is important that commanders in the field relate with
the society and other security agencies in their efforts to bring the high rate
of kidnapping, acts of banditry and attacks on villages leading to killings in
Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna and Katsina States to an end.
“At this point, I will seize this opportunity to caution the
media and the general public not to glorify bandits, armed robbers, kidnappers
and ethnic militias to the extent that they are seen as stronger than the
military and other security agencies.
“The criminals and bandits are only as strong as the society
paints or view them and further propagated by the media.
“It is important to state that information and intelligence
flows from the people and indeed from the press and the public.
“Such criminal activities are intelligence based and the
people, are in this regard to provide timely information and clear
identifications of the perpetrators.
“Undue publicity and praise singing of the bandits and other
criminal elements would only motivate them to commit more criminal acts at the
detriment of society.
“Therefore, the press, the general public, security analysts
and public commentators are advised to show more maturity and due diligence in
this collective effort of ridding the country of criminals and criminalities.”
On Boko Haram, Buratai said, Boko Haram has aligned with
ISWAP to make Northern Borno and the general area of the Lake Chad Basin an
enclave straddling the 4 countries in the region.
He, however, said that, to ensure the total defeat of both
Boko Haram Terrorists and ISWAP, the fight requires a combine holistic approach
by the countries of the Lake Chad Commission.
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