Tukur Burtai, chief of army staff, says Boko Haram leaders
and recruiters live in communities, evading detection by mixing with the local
population.
Buratai said Boko Haram’s mode of operation, its use of
propaganda and hardcore ideology are the major reasons the insurgency has
lasted for many years.
In an interview with Daily Trust, he said the war against
Boko Haram has improved from what it used to be few years ago, but admitted
that there has been a “minimal resurgence”.
“Insurgency is not what you defeat and it would just fizzle
out; they would revert to other tactics. That is terrorism,” he said.
“They will promote propaganda, to the effect that all the
institutions of government would be seen to be ineffective. This is what they
are doing. They are exploiting the fault lines in our economic and political
endeavours to expand the gulf of so-called discord and acrimony amongst various
ethnic and religious groups.
“Why are they doing this propaganda, blocking the road and
capturing individuals because they are of a particular religion? Unfortunately,
they murder those individuals and send it to the world. These are propaganda
strategies of the terrorists.
“These individuals may be living with you and you would not
know they are terrorists. They have a series of informants and logistics
suppliers. They have a series of leadership strata that live in the communities
and towns nearby. They pass information and organise those that are hidden
along the borders in remote areas or communities who come, attack and go back.
They also have a series of recruiters.”
The army chief said
though the group started took up arms in 2009, some of its members were
indoctrinated 10 to 40 years ago, and that what Nigeria currently faces is an
“is an existential threat”
“Looking at it from this perspective, you would see that it
is a complex operation you cannot wish to just go,” he said.
“At the national assembly, I said indoctrination of the
citizens did not start in 2009, it started much earlier. And it grew until it
reached that point where they took arms against the state.
“It is an indoctrination that has taken roots between 10 and
40 years back. And for you to de-radicalise an individual to bring him back to
sanity, you think it would just take you three years, four or 10 years?
“These are people that were brain-washed to believe that
when they die they would go straight to heaven. And you think they would
believe in you to bring them back to mix with people they refer to as
unbelievers? You have to look at this context.”
Buratai said while the military continues to target the
leaders and locations of Boko Haram leaders, they need “extensive and intensive
surveillance arrangement (and) very good intelligence”
He said: “If you are targeting the head to decapitate, you
must have been on their tracks; how close have we ever gotten close to
eliminating Shekau? This is a military operation.
“Late last year, there was a report in which the Air Force
bombarded their camps and many of their leaders were eliminated. Even the
attack on Damaturu, about two of their commanders were eliminated. In Goneri
also, one of their commanders was eliminated.
“We will continue to target them individually and as a group
until we narrow the overall leader. It requires some intelligence. As I said,
this insurgency did not start yesterday; it started over 40 years back.”
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