The Chief of Army Staff (COAS)
Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said that the Army has engaged in spiritual warfare
to counter Boko Haram propaganda.
Buratai, represented by
Brig.-Gen. Timothy Olowomeye, the Director Civil Military Affairs, stated this
at the 2019 Chaplains annual Training Conference and Retreat on Tuesday in
Sokoto.
”We were involved in a joint
seminar on Spiritual Warfare as an effective means against insurgency and other
forms of restiveness.
”Boko Haram and the likes cannot
be defeated by kinetic military warfare alone.
”Finding appropriate
counter-narratives against these violent extremist sects will immensely be a
big push towards eradicating their negative activities in Nigeria,” he said.
Buratai said Nigeria and the
world at large were grappling with the harsh reality of restiveness mostly
shrouded in religious, economic and political undertones.
”These tendencies have caused
disorder and wanton destruction of lives and property of many innocent citizens
who have continued to look unto the government for solace.
” President Muhammadu Buhari has
continued to offer succour and renewing the hope of the country’s citizens
through the relentless efforts of our Armed Forces and other security agencies.
” lWe, therefore, must call to
mind always that the noble task of protecting the territorial integrity of the
nation while also being proactively involved in aid of our civil authority is
our prime responsibility,” Buratai said.
He said the Army had continued to
engage with the religious directorate on possible proactive measures to help in
winning this fight against the various forms of restiveness in the country.
The COAS described the theme,
“The Non-Kinetic Strength in the face of Armed Banditry and other Security
Challenges: The Role of the Military Chaplains”, as very relevant in this
battle.
He further noted that the choice
of the Northwest for the event meant they were in tandem with the efforts of
the government in quelling the teeming security challenges of banditry in the
region.
He called for more collaboration
between the Directorates of Civil Military Affairs (DCMA) and the three
Religious Directorates in the efforts to contain the security challenges.
According to him, the Armed
Forces have attained great feats in the fight against insurgents, breaking
their ranks and degrading their will to fight.
He expressed optimism that the
conference would develop appropriate narratives required to counter the
ideologies of the religious terror groups.
Speaking also, the Coordinator,
Brig.-Gen. Charles Chidebere, said the event was in furtherance of efforts to
win the war not by blazing guns but through winning the hearts of all with
profound messages of peace.
Chidebere appealed to religious
leaders, tribes, communities and people at large to uphold the true message of
religion which included peace, tolerance and unity in words and actions.
” We must refute in strongest
terms possible all forms of extreme religious fanaticism and its attendant
security threat to the nation,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
reports that series of activities were lined up during the conference which
ends on Oct. 25.
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