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Tag: buratai

  • We’ve pushed Boko Haram out of North-east

    We’ve pushed Boko Haram out of North-east

    The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, at a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said that Boko Haram terrorists have been pushed out of all the north-eastern states save Borno State.

    The army chief, one of the nation’s military commanders whom some Nigerians have called for their sack, said the troops are sharing intelligence to rout the insurgents out of Borno.

    “There are no Boko Haram terrorists in neighbouring states. They have been pushed out, and now cornered in Borno State,” he said in a statement issued by presidential publicist, Garba Shehu.

    READ ALSO: Furious Borno governor blames military for Boko Haram massacre of over 30 travellers
    “We are coordinating with civil and traditional authorities, mobilising and reinforcing and all we need is patience. We will not relent,” the statement quoted Mr Buratai as telling the president.

    While Mr Buratai held this view, as recently as May this year, Boko Haram terrorists attacked Dapchi, a community in Yobe State. They had earlier attacked another Babangida community in the state in February.

    President Buhari, on his part, told governors of the north-east region that his administration has not ceased to think about how to tackle the insecurity in the country.

    The president added that in the wake of security challenges in the region, the administration is launching new combat strategies and acquiring modern military equipment.

    “Security will be restored to Borno State, the north-east and the nation at large,” the president said.

    “I assure you, the north-east governors, especially that of Borno, that we go to bed and wake up thinking about you, how to secure our country, that is the responsibility of every government.”

    The president noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has made “scarce resources even scarcer,” thereby affecting the supply chain of military equipment and spare parts.

    But he assured that modern military equipment is being acquired. Some, he said, have been purchased, while others are underway.

    “Our government is doing its best on the question of equipment and the military know(s). We have equipment coming from some countries. The acquisition of military wares and spares is not easy, especially if you are not the manufacturer,” the presidency statement read.

  • 99 percent of terrorists, kidnappers are Nigerians – Buratai

    99 percent of terrorists, kidnappers are Nigerians – Buratai

    The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Yusuf Tukur Buratai, has said the various shades of insecurity in different parts of the country will end as soon as Nigerians want them to end.

    Buratai stated this on Monday when he addressed State House Correspondents after a closed-doors meeting with President Muhmmadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa.

    Buratai, who noted that various ongoing military operations in the north and other parts of the country were progressing successfully, also said that the security situation in the north had been brought under control, saying the situation had become better than it was a few months ago.

    However, it would be recalled that a couple of bloody incidences had been reported in different parts of the country, especially in the north, in the last few days.

    Reports had it that 19 persons were shot dead in Kukum Daji Village, Kaduna State Sunday night, while suspected bandits ambushed and killed 16 soldiers in Katsina on Saturday.

    Responding to a question posed by correspondents on whether there was a possibility of the various violent crises across the country being finally put down, the Chief of Army Staff said the various criminal activities besetting the country would end if Nigerians come together to end them.

    According to him, those engaging in the violent and criminal activities were almost all Nigerians, saying “these terrorists, 99 percent of them are Nigerians. These kidnappers I will say 100 percent of them are Nigerians.

    “As to whether banditry, terrorism and so on will end, I think it all depends. If Nigerians want it to end today, I can assure you it will end today, if everybody joins hands because these bandits are not outside Nigeria, they are not from foreign land.

    “So it’s not just a military, security agency task to end the insecurity in this country. It’s only when it goes bad that we are called in, but everybody has the responsibility to handle that.

    “Some of the insecurities are as old as history itself and it all depends on what you are doing to contain or defeat it at a particular time. It is the totality of your effort that will determine the escalation or containment of the insecurity in the country.

    “There are set backs that can occur in such military operations or any security operations but that not mean inability to handle it, incompetence to handle it, as long as the efforts are there and are visible, the support of all and sundry will be required to address it squarely.

    “Like I said, if we want it to end, the totality of the people’s effort must be put into it to see that insecurity in the country is reduced to the barest minimum.

    “But if we don’t do anything and continue to complain, and continue to accuse the agencies involved in fighting it, then we are not helping matters. You are supposed to find solutions as something is being done on daily basis.

  • How Buratai’s presence in theatre of war boosted troops morale for successes – CISS report

    A report by the Centre for International and Strategic Studies (CISS) has revealed how the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai’s presence in the Northeast for two months triggered a monumental turnaround in the fight against Boko Haram/ISWAP.

    Co-signed by its Chancellor, Prof. Ahmed Danfulani and Senior Research Fellow, Dr Samson Bello, the Centre said the COAS’ relocation to the theatre of operations provided the much-needed morale booster for the troops to edge closer to victory.

    According to CISS, the result is evident as over 250 insurgents have surrendered voluntarily due to immense offensives by the troops while no fewer than 1,200 lost their lives to the Nigerian Army’s superior firepower.

    It added that 600 women and children have been freed from Boko Haram captivity, thanks to the renewed commitment by the Army in its well coordinated onslaught led by the Chief of Army Staff himself.

    The Centre, however, urged the COAS and his troops to sustain the momentum, adding that the war against terrorism would end in no distant time.

  • Buhari’s administration has demonstrated will, capacity to end Boko Haram – Professor Danfulani

    The President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has demonstrated the will and capacity to end terrorism and all forms violent crimes in Nigeria in the last five years, a former Director General of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic studies, NIPSS, Prof. Danfulani has said.

    Prof. Danfulani, who is the current Chancellor, CISS, appraising the performance of the current administration in the last five years, said one area where it has indisputably done tremendously well and saved the lives of citizens is security.

    The Professor, speaking with our reporters in Abuja said the administration, though, has surpassed expectations in other areas like economy and fight against corruption, but said security is considered as central to the overall performance of an administration because it provides the base for other things like the formulation of policies and for planning as well as citizens wellbeing and infrastructural development.

    He said an administration that knits it onions first and foremost sets out to secure the citizenry before any other thing as much cannot be achieved in an atmosphere of chaos and brigandage.

    The former DG of NIPSS said the Buhari administration which came a time that the country was facing security challenges, did well to identify security as one of the cardinal challenges facing the country and quickly moved ahead to take drastic actions which has earned Nigeria respect and admiration from across the globe.

    Said the Prof: “From day one, Buhari gave the service and other security chiefs in the country his agenda for the nation and gave them a marching order to move to the theatres of war.

    “From that moment, the war on terrorism and insurgency in the country took a new dimension with Nigerian troops leading joint operations in the Lake Chad region as well ridding the home front of the activities of the terrorists.”

    Danfulani said it is within this period that Boko Haram was technically defeated and their operations bases weakened to the extent that they no longer were able to carry out operations in the country but fled to other countries to sometimes attack soft targets.

    He said many have tried to unravel the magic that Nigeria brought to bear to achieve this turnaround and pointed out that a lot has to do with the right leadership in the country and in the armed forces.

    The Prof. explained that to have a clearer picture of what was brought to bear on the operations of the Nigeria military that is earning it positive results lately, the commitment of the country’s leadership to security had to be x-rayed.

    The professor said the commitment of President Buhari to security can be categorised into three different phases to arrive at the conclusion that Nigeria is achieving results due to the right kind of leadership.

    He said the three phases are, Buhari’s attitude to security while in the military, his efforts as a private citizen and his tactics as a president.

    “Buhari, said the Prof, “while serving in the military, brought pride to Nigeria with the way he carried out assignments especially with the way he gave Chadian soldiers who were reported to have killed some Nigerian soldiers a bloody nose when he was serving in Maiduguri under the Shagari administration.”

    The Professor said even as a private citizen, the President involved himself in processes to secure the nation and was constantly reminding the then government to be more committed to securing the country untill an attempt was made on his life while driving in Kaduna.

    Danfulani said it was the culmination of these efforts that came to bear when Buhari took over the mantle of leadership as president and provided the support and impetus for Nigerian troops to defeat the insurgents, recapture many seized Nigerian territories and set many communities free.

    “Who would have thought that a time would come in Nigeria when we will spend a whole week, then later months and now years without a bomb going off in any part of the country.

    “Who would have thought that schools, hospitals and markets in Bama, Monguno, Gwoza and many other terrorised towns would reopen?” he asked.

    Prof. Danfulani maintained that those that doubted Boko Haram was defeated were shocked to hear that the success of the military has even gone beyond making the terrorists flee but that the Boko Haram leader is even looking for ways to surrender.

    The academic added that the sucker punch came when the Boko Haram leader in an audio was heard weeping like a baby and pleading to Allah to intercede for them over what he called the wickedness of the Nigerian military.

    “President Buhari, the chief of army staff and the troops in the field deserve a standing ovation for making the Boko Haram leader who is wont to talk tough all the time swallow his pride to cry for mercy.

    “That is the height of the assurance needed by the citizens that the President through the armed forces has given priority to secure the lives of citizens and has succeeded in doing so,” he stated.

    Prof. Danfulani said the President deserves commendation for appointing highly professional and well disciplined officers like Lt. Gen TY Buratai to lead the war against insurgency and terrorism.

    He noted that the war against insurgency and terrorism took a different dimension since March this year when the Chief of army staff moved to the theater of operation and vowed not to return untill the terrorists are defeated.

    “You can see that within a month, more than 500 of the insurgents have been killed, their weapons seized and their informants arrested.

    “They have been reduced to a rag tag army clutching at straws in the most pitiable and uncoordinated manner.

    “The Nigerian military is serious about bringing Boko Haram activities to an end and very soon people would see that some of the things achieved can only through a dedicated leadership with purpose that we currently have,” he stated.

  • Nigeria’s 5 years of a turnaround under Buhari

    Nigeria’s 5 years of a turnaround under Buhari

    By Abe Kolawole

    It was then military president, Ibrahim Babangida after several failed attempts to revamp the Nigerian economy while in office, let out in exasperation that, “ the Nigerian economy has defied all solutions.”

    Babangida it was who introduced the Structural Adjustment Programme, SAP, devalued the naira, introduced the Second Tier Foreign Exchange Market and privatized many sectors of the economy.

    But when all these did not post the desired result on the economy, he threw his arms up in surrender in that statement that portrayed his helplessness.

    Fast forward to 27 years later, the country’s economy, which seemingly defied five administrations after Babangida and countless policies and strategies betrayed its rigidity, as they say in medical parlance, began to respond to treatment.

    Two things, according to experts have made the difference in the approach the current administration has adopted which are impacting positively on the economy.

    The first is the integrity of the man on the saddle, President Muhammadu Buhari and the second is his well known zero tolerance for corruption.

    Whereas past Nigerian leaders have been able to come up with beautiful economic policies and programmes, such have failed to yield positive results due to the lack of discipline and moral rectitude required on the part of the leadership to see them through.

    However, unlike others, Buhari came tailored-made for the job. Since his days in the military where he served in many credible positions including the federal commissioner for petroleum and natural resources to when he left office and served as the chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), the president has shown that he cannot be enticed with material things to shift focus from doing his job creditably well and can go to any length to ensure he protects the people’s interest.

    With that sense of commitment, he has been able to churn out results in any assignment. It was for instance during his time at the petroleum ministry that many projects including federal government’s investment in pipelines and petroleum storage infrastructures and the building of about 21 petroleum storage depots all over the country from Lagos to Maiduguri and from Calabar to Gusau were done and when he became chairman of the PTF, it is on record that the project executed by the fund far surpassed the expectations of even the administration that established it.

    Nigerians became nostalgic for a repeat of the Buhari leadership when they recounted that after he left office as Head of State, no administration has rivalled his commitment towards developing the country.

    Since he was swoon into office in May 29 2015, the story of Nigeria has changed. The economy which was in doldrums began to show signs of recovery; states which could not pay salaries were helped to do so through the provision of bailout funds; small and medium scale enterprises began to boom and the agricultural sector was opened up through investment-friendly policies.

    The power sector which had drained huge resources in the past without reciprocal improvement, quickly picked up as thousands of megawatts of power were not only added to the national grid but transmitted and distributed to consumers. That’s not all, though.

    The petroleum sector recovered from its convulsion with just a push as queues at the filling stations completely disappeared and availability of petroleum products became the new order.

    Corruption which defied many administrations was forced to take the back seat when the Treasury Single Account, TSA, was introduced and those who stole from the public till in the previous administrations were made to face the wrath of the law.

    Not less than 8,000 ghost workers were uncovered in the public service and many public servants who were benefitting from corrupt practices of the past, living large at the expense of others, discerning that a new sheriff was in town, repented and adjusted their ways.

    But perhaps the greatest legacy for which the current administration would be remembered for both now and in many years to come is on the aspect of security.

    Prior to 2015, the security situation in the country was so embarrassing that Nigeria became a laughing stock the world over.

    Its soldiers were the butt of jokes in other nations including even smaller African countries due to lack of motivation, poor welfare, inadequate equipment and training as well as corruption. Troops battling terrorists in the country and in the Lake Chad region were forced to abandon the fight to flee into other countries for safety.

    Several communities in the North eastern part of the country were taken over by insurgents who boasted with glee that they are on the verge of carving out another country out of Nigeria as the then administration looked on helplessly.

    The terrorists not assuaged by their takeover of communities on the fringes of the Lake Chad penetrated further into the country spreading the bloodletting activities to many states in the Northwest and Northcentral parts of the country and capped it all with their heavy presence and operations right in the heart of the federal capital in Abuja.

    It was an all-time low for Nigeria as many infrastructure like roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and communication facilities were destroyed by the insurgents in addition to the many killed and the thousands abducted, raped and terrorized.

    President Buhari, well aware of the crisis when he resumed made the issue of security part of his inaugural speech, promising to deal with the situation and promised to relocate the military command to the theatres of war.

    He also searched hard to fish out those who would help him attain the goal of freeing Nigeria from terrorism that was making life so difficult for a vast majority of the populace and he appointed Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai among other service chiefs, as the Chief of Army Staff. Jackpot

    That was the watershed. The narrative on the war on terrorism, insurgency and sundry other crimes suddenly took a different twist.

    The terrorists that were making videos of their exploits including bombing of significant edifices like the United Nations’ office, the police headquarters both in Abuja and attempt at attacking the office of the DSS began to flee as the heat turned on them.

    They were in no time forced to evacuate from the FCT as the heat became unbearable. Their weekly rit/ual of blowing up worship centers in an average of one per week vanished and their threats to bring down the country fizzled out as the military took the war to their base and entered their fortresses in Sambisa Forest and the Mandara Hills.

    The so called capital of their caliphate in Gwoza was overrun to the extent that the leader of the Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau abandoned his location with his tails between his legs leaving behind his cherished flag and Quran which were retrieved and presented to the President by the Chief of Army Staff.

    All the 20 local government spread between Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States which were under Boko Haram control were recaptured by Nigerian troops and all the communities liberated. This saw to the drop on the population of people at the Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camps as many returned to their homes and communities.

    The Buhari administration through support to the military and other security agencies also saved Nigeria from the threat of secession from some disgruntled elements in the Southeast and put a permanent stop to their criminal activities while the head of the outfit, Nnamdi Kanu fled.

    Between 2015 and 2020, the military also launched several operational codes to take care of certain security issues affecting the country ranging from cattle rustling, kidnapping, highway robbery, ritual killings and banditry.

    Each time the terrorists made futile attempts to bounce back through surprise attacks on certain towns and communities, the military showed resistance and resilience, turning around attacks on Biu, Damboa, Garkida, Michika and other places.

    People in these communities have seen more than an actionable assurance that their security is now guaranteed and never have failed to thank the Buhari administration for that.

    As the heat became too much on the terrorists, they resorted into harassing villages on the fringes of Nigerien borders in Katsina, seeing that they are losing their grip on all fronts. President Buhari, unrelenting, equally ordered for operations in that area that would took care of that problem permanently.

    Indeed even residents of places far away from the North east like Abuja, Kaduna and Kano have also had a cause to remember what transpired in the years gone by and to thank the Buhari administration for the wonderful job it is doing which has made life more meaningful and secured for them.

    Kolawole is former PRO, National Association of Nigerian Student and wrote from Ondo State.

  • Boko Haram: Understanding the wailing wailers

    Boko Haram: Understanding the wailing wailers

    By Philip Agbese

    Somewhat ironically, I would never have believed in the hyped paradox of belonging to a nation called Nigeria, whose citizens are very religious, but rather prefer to celebrate its oddities than progression or golly. But of course, I live in this nation and through the years, I have incredibly realized that most Nigerians are repulsed to any good about their country.

    Evil has been elevated to prime heights. We can organize generous fanfares in feting a national tragedy which touches on agony, blood and massive deaths. Trust us! We can even go extra miles to invite the remotest of friends and associates to partake with us, in this somehow, Luciferic feast to wine and dine. I have grudgingly come to accept this sad, but unassailable truth.

    Ask for the reasons why some of us delight in carnivals of evil, but nothing worthy would be muttered. I mean, nothing tangible would be exposited as the reason for such a stab on their conscience and the soul of a nation. It will only take you some level of innately gifted ingenuity to decode that the celebrations are organized because a tragedy has befallen their nation. It’s difficult to rescue a nation populated by people with such psychological fixations.

    And the organizers and partakers in evil against their country think, whoever is the leader of Nigeria, and in the instant case, President Muhammadu Buhari would be ridiculed, defamed and demeaned by it. They invoke so much of retributive justice on they’re wretched souls because a Nigerian leader is outside their political camp.

    Much as we are learned and exposed, this idiosyncrasy has co-habited with us and it is thriving in our souls and spirits. Almost all of us behave as if, after we wittingly destroy Nigeria, there is another country reserved for us to inhabit.

    Nigerians with such mindsets are recognized with multiple names and identities, depending on the sane mind observing their resentful games against our beloved country. We know them as operating under separate nomenclatures. They are opposers, wailers, detractors, haters, sabs, praise singers, sycophants, destroyers, heritage usurpers, ancestors of the nation, godfathers of Nigeria, politicians, or perpetual power monks. It all depends on the angle of anybody’s perception of these compatriots.

    But the common denominator among them all is very shameful and disgraceful reality that once “A Government -In-Power” (AGIP) is outside their political bloc, the rest of us should be deprived of peace. So, it must be pulled down through grandeur conspiracies of evil.

    And in their infantile minds, narrowed mindsets, malicious outings and completely nonsensical mouthing, they think, whoever leads the country must be dwarfed with frivolous criticisms. His efforts must be rubbished with meaningless pukes to fill an egoistic void.

    I heard the celebrative moods of some Nigerians of the same regressive ilk, I earlier mentioned. Their very active agents posted and acolytates’ delightedly syndicated on traditional and social media platforms, videos of our gallant troops caught up in the web of fleeing terrorists at Buni Yadi – Buni Gari axis of Yobe State, in the Northeast a few days back.

    Of course, no one is denying that troops of Combat Team 1, Operation Kantana Jimlan never encountered and fought terrorists while on routine patrol of vicinities within their jurisdiction. And in that outing, again Nigerian troops triumphed over the combined forces of Boko Haram/ ISWAP terrorists. Casualties were recorded on both sides mainly because it was an ambush on Nigerian troops.

    But our troops did not disappoint me. Soldiers stood gallantly very firm and never allowed the terrorists to have a field day, despite the multiple Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), the cursed bloodsuckers planted on their path. Some soldiers (two) died in the process (may their souls rest in perfect peace) and others sustained injuries. Its also normal in the warfront. In war situations, the combatants expect anything and the worse can even happen.

    Give and take, I think the performance of Nigerian troops at this specific incident deserves recommendation from all of us because insurgents of whatever hue were neutralized. It implies that they could not cause the large-scale damage as planned.

    What I can’t discern are the stories and videos circulating on social media platforms. The cooked videos in that particular encounter, had images of soldiers’ blaming the COAS and leader of the counter-insurgency operations Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai for failing to deploy airstrikes early enough, until the Boko Haram had dealt a severe blow on troops. Gen. Buratai is also in the same trenches with troops. From the skewed narrations by detractors, it’s easy to know, the fake news, hyped is all about destroying Gen. Buratai.

    Its curious for a soldier in the battlefront and in the heat of war; I mean, a soldier who is under the “pressure” of enemy attacks, to have time to use his cellphone to record gory scenes of his defeat from attacks to circulate on social media platforms. It looks very unreal! But the wailing wailers spare no antics in this rough game.

    Incredibly, the wailers and haters of the administration of President Buhari are gleefully circulating what in all nuance drapes with fakeness. We must not drag the hate on our country to such extents. It’s extremely uncharitable and unpatriotic.

    But being the very peculiar human beings, we are famed, some disgruntled elements in their usual gyrations, passed the verdict that the war against terrorism and Nigeria’s final push against Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists will be extended. No concrete reason is given by these detractors on why they think the last clearance operations against terrorists’ and their defeat would be stretched further. However, what I did not miss in the narrations was both the faint and strong voices of vilification or condemnation of Gen. Buratai.

    Let me emphasize that those who took a satanic advantage of a video clip by some soldiers who suffered an ambush in an encounter with fleeing elements of Boko Haram as the basis of their celebration and generous conclusion about the extension of the counter-insurgency operations have goofed. Gen. Buratai is someone I know, who cannot be taken for granted. He is a soldier’s soldier any day you encounter him.

    The wailers and haters of the Buhari Presidency are unexcited and indeed, melancholic that barely one month the troops led by Gen Buratai in the trenches of the Northeast have killed over 500 terrorists in quick succession. The sexed and publicized lamentation videos of soldiers is just the latest trick of the wailers to hit Gen. Buratai, blur the reality and confuse Nigerians.

    Some of us have not lost focus of the actual reasons. The saboteurs’, Boko Haram sponsors, agents and sympathizers are angry that their business enterprise is facing a dire threat and coming to an end. The wailers are angry that money will stop silently snaking into their wallets in the business of promoting terrorism for a fee from external sponsors. They are burning with indignation within.

    Unfortunately, it’s impossible to change destiny. Gen. Buratai is destined to end Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorism and no amount of malicious propaganda can frustrate him.

    Useful advice now!It’ss early enough and the signals are visible that Boko Haram is on its way out of existence. So, the terrorprinterss should begin to scout for new busineuses to occupy their conscienceless souls. But as far as the blues from the theatre of war in the Northeast conveys, terrorism is no longer fashionable in Nigeria. It is merely struggling with its last and faint shadows of survival.

    The terrorism entrepreneurs and wailing wailers will keep wailin like hapless armed robbers caught pants down in a cage during a sting operation by security forces. But the message must be clearly sounded that Nigeria has no space for Luciferic souls like them. Certainly, not under the Government of President Buhari.

    Agbese is a publisher and human rights lawyer based in the UK.

  • [Tending video] Frustrated soldiers curse Buratai as Boko Haram members ambush, overwhelm troops]

    [Tending video] Frustrated soldiers curse Buratai as Boko Haram members ambush, overwhelm troops]

    A video of some frustrated Nigerian soldiers laying curses on the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, while on battle field is presently trending online.

    According to reports, the incident happened after Boko Haram members ambushed and overwhelmed troops, leaving two soldiers dead.

    Reacting to the incident, the Nigerian Army said: “This kind of outburst is expected in war, the soldiers involved have bee identified and would undergo observation and counselling. The Armed Forces of Nigeria will remain unwavering in its quest to end the terrorist and will do everything possible to ensure there is no repeat of this kind of traumatic incident/outburst.”

    Watch video:

    READ FULL STATEMENT FROM DEFENCE MEDIA OPERATION:

    The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, John Enenche, said troops of Combat Team 1, Operation Kantana Jimlan who were on patrol along Buni Yadi – Buni Gari axis of Yobe State encountered multiple Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and a Boko Haram ambush on Sunday.

    He said the ambush took place eight kilometres ahead of Buni-Gari in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe leading to the killing of two soldiers while three other soldiers sustained injuries as a result of the IED explosion.

    According to him, a recovery truck, one troops-carrying vehicle and a water tanker that ran into the IED were destroyed by fire.

    “Three terrorists were neutralised, while unconfirmed number escaped with various degrees of injury,” Mr Enenche said.

    In the statement, the official also narrated some successes achieved by the Nigerian military against the insurgents.

    He said the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole, on Monday, destroyed the logistics base of the Boko Haram/Islamic States of West Africa Province (ISWAP) at Njimia on the fringes of Sambisa Forest in Borno State.

    He said the operation was in continuation of the onslaught against terrorists targets in the North-east.

    Mr Enenche said the feat was achieved following credible intelligence reports as well as series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

    He added that the mission led to the identification of the nondescript cluster of structures within the settlement being used by the terrorists to house their fuel and other logistics.

    According to him, the Air Task Force dispatched an appropriate attack aircraft and a surveillance platform to take out the target.

    “The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) attack assets scored accurate hits in their bombing runs on the target area, completely obliterating the logistics stores as well as causing damage to several other BHT structures in the settlement.

    “The Chief of the Air Staff commends the Air Task Force for their professionalism and directs them to remain resolute towards eradicating the terrorists from the North East,” he said.

    “The Armed Forces of Nigeria will remain unwavering in its quest to end the terrorism and will do everything possible to ensure there is no repeat of this kind of traumatic incident.

    “The Military High Command commends troops of Operation Lafiya Dole for their unwavering determination, hardwork and resilience,” he said.

    The Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria has led to the death of tens of thousands of people and the displacement of millions of others, mainly in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

  • Mama Buratai: Exit of a mother who gave her son to the nation

    Mama Buratai: Exit of a mother who gave her son to the nation

    By Abubakar Tsav

    Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai on Tuesday, lost his mother, Kakah Hajiya Hauwa Yusuf Buratai after a brief illness at her home in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

    The death of the Buratai matriarch, is coming two years after the patriarch of the Buratai family, Alhaji Yusuf Buratai, a veteran of World War II, who joined the West African Army in 1942, passed on in February 2018.

    The Buratai family having lost two strong pillars in the past two years must indeed be grieved by the irretrievability of the losses and the sad reality their absence portends.

    The death of Mama Buratai, though painful has however reminded us of the deep sacrifices and forfeiture of personal comfort the Nigerian military in the bid to secure our lands and ensure the rest of us stay safe pass through.

    For at the time that Mama passed on peacefully, her son, Lt. Gen. Buratai was in the trenches fighting what has become like a cancer in the body of the country, Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorism.

    Buratai is currently in his native Borno State overseeing military operations to defeat terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria.

    He has been engaging the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists that have since 2009 taken up arms against the Nigerian state and whose activities have resulted in the death of thousands including women and children, displaced and scattered many families and destroyed property and basic infrastructure including hospitals and schools that are too numerous to be quantified in a fierce battle.

    Buratai, to effectively decapitate this scourge, has since March this year, relocated to the theaters of war and has been leading the battle from the front.

    His presence at the battlefield had spruced up the courage of the fighting troops spiking up the number of wins being recorded at the Lake Chad region.

    Within the first week of his relocation to the Northeast, over a hundred of the insurgents were brought down and subsequent military operations have also brought out better results with over 500 of the terrorists liquidated in less than two months.

    It is to the credit of the Chief of Army Staff that the insurgents for the first time since they declared war on Nigeria and other neighbouring African countries, began to cry for mercy and to send signals that they are considering the act of surrender.

    As Nigerians and other lovers of peace the world over cheered to this news, many forgot that the soldiers in the field, whom many have derided in the past, also have their lives to live and that they also are responsible family men like many of us and would have preferred they are with their families.

    But the need to secure the country and make life meaningful for the citizenry and to facilitate development has trumped all other desires and wishes.

    The death of the Buratai matriarch while her son was in the trenches, tells the story of our gallant soldiers.

    Perhaps Mama wanted to draw our attention to the plight of the average military personnel on the battlefield and to remind us to keep them in our prayers, that was why she passed on as such an auspicious time.

    Like the other mothers whose cries cannot be heard, she has donated her son to the cause of serving humanity and motherland.

    President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged this much when he commiserated with the Chief of Army Staff over the death of his mother.

    In a statement signed by Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, the President prayed that the Almighty God will comfort Lt. Gen. Buratai, who he said has been at the epicenter of war against terrorists in North East, urging the family to find solace in Hajiya Hauwa’s good works.

    He also prayed the Almighty God will receive the soul of the departed matriarch, who he said lived a pious, prayerful, and generous life.

    Those who knew Mama Buratai, described her as kind hearted and generous mother who assisted many.

    “We remember your fond love, years of toil, endurance and perseverance while alive. Naturally, your affectionate love drained sorrows from the hearts of many; comforted the millions of wailing souls around you.

    “We remember and will miss your comforting counsels in our moments of torments. Your sagacity transcended boundaries and brought comfort to the known and unknown. Mama, your translucent piousness, generous lifestyle and care would forever be etched on our memories,” said one of them in a glowing tribute.

    Mama Buratai was said to have been very supportive of her son and had even expressed optimism that her son would bring the insurgency in the country to an end.

    This shows she has been a supportive mother who knowing the qualities she has imparted in her son, had the confidence to know where his capabilities could take him.

    That she did not cringe and cry when her son was at the battlefield, must have been the secret to the confidence exuded by the Chief of Army Staff which had in turn rubbed off on the troops and had kept them going resulting in the current series of successes being recorded at the battlefield.

    President Buhari, the Nigerian armed forces and indeed all Nigerians would miss your motherly support to the nation.

    We can only hope that after all these years of standing as a pillar unto your son, your demise will not diminish the spark in him but would in respect to your loving memory, serve to urge him on to finally bring the battle against insurgency and terrorism in Nigeria to an end.

    Rest in peace Mama as we pray that God grants you Jannatul Firdaus.

    Tsav wrote this tribute from Makurdi, Benue State.

  • Adieu, Mama Buratai in heavenly bliss!

    Adieu, Mama Buratai in heavenly bliss!

    By Adam Biu

    “But let them sleep Lord, and I mourn a space;
    For, if above all these, my sins abound,
    ‘Tis late to ask abundance of thy grace,
    When we are there. Here on this lowly ground,
    Teach me how to repent; for that’s as good
    As if thou hadst sealed my pardon with thy blood”-John Donne (1572-1631)

    John Donne has pungently and poetically kept reminding us about the inevitable eventuality of the mortality of human beings on earth. The reality of death, especially for beloved ones, sends nervous emotions. It pains and I mean; a deep pain that touches the marrow and appears permanent.

    But, it is a divine order from Almighty Allah (S.W.T):.The birth of a child brings joy, but the death brings sadness. Tears have never solved the mystery of death for us, the bereaved. But mourning is the only human antidote which lessens our grief and purges the pains death inflicts on us.

    Today, Nigeria is mourning the passage to eternal glory of Mama, Hajiya Hauwa Yusuf Buratai, whom the cold hands of death snatched from us. The matriarch of the Buratai family, you have left us too soon, mama! How I wish, Almighty Allah (S.W.T) would have extended the grace of longevity to you.

    But Almighty Allah (S.W.T) knows why and we think, you are safer in His hands than in this sinful world caging us with countless afflictions and the latest being Coronavirus! But I know, your spirit is on us.

    All through lifetime Mama, you lived a worthy life as a wife, mother, auntie, sister and pillar of the downtrodden in communities around the North. We know you as a compassionate mother, a woman of virtue, community mobilizer, the pillar of the needy and epitome of excellence.

    Not long ago, we mourned the passing unto glory of the patriarch of the Buratai family, World War II veteran, Mallam Yusuf Buratai. We are still weeping even as we found consolation in your warm embrace and today, you are gone, Mama!

    Tears have not yet dried on our faces and today, we are in tears over demise. Oh destiny, you are very cruel to us the people of Biu village/LGA, Borno and indeed, all Nigerians are in sorrow over the sudden passage of the matriarch of the Buratais. But you are above death. Rather you have conquered the mystery of death eternally.

    Mama, you came into the world as a heroine and departed as a heroine. We remember your fond love, years of toil, endurance and perseverance while alive. Naturally, your affectionate love drained sorrows from the hearts of many; comforted the millions of wailing souls around you. Words are not enough to express exactly millions.

    We remember and will miss your comforting counsels in our moments of torments. Your sagacity transcended boundaries and brought comfort to the known and unknown. Mama, your translucent piousness, generous lifestyle and care would forever be etched on our memories.

    But I say again that our Matriarch and indeed, the Buratai family have conquered death. Mama, your sojourn on earth has brought solace and freedom to millions of enslaved Nigerians. In you Mama, I met a compassionate mother, who cares for everyone around her.

    I miss your counsel and the last time, I visited you in the village, you told me that your son, Gen. Buratai would end Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria, no matter the forces frustrating the efforts of the Nigerian Army. It was not a mere wish, but prayers Almighty Allah has granted.

    I believed you absolutely Mama and it is happening already. There are clear signs that your son, Gen. Buratai, leader of the counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria, a rare gift to Nigeria’s military will end the torment of Boko Haram insurgency and ISWAP terrorism in Nigeria very soon.

    I keep wailing and will keep crying at your demise because the cold hands of death have snatched you away from us, just before the hour of total victory against Boko Haram. I refuse to be comforted because you are no longer alive to relish this victory with Nigerians.

    How I wish Almighty Allah (S.W.T) would have preserved your life to be one of those to receive the national plaque of honour, and garlands of triumph of the Nigerian Army over Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists. But Almighty Allah has done His will. I am a mere mortal to question His will. He knows better. But it is painful!

    But Mama, you are not dead! You will live forever in our psyche. An English poet and world acclaimed founder of metaphysical poetry, John Donne, says in a poetic verse titled; “At the round earth’s imagined corners” (Holy Sonnet 7), which says;

    “At the round earth’s imagined corners, blow
    Your trumpets, angels, and arise, arise
    From death, you numberless infinities
    Of souls, and to your scattered bodies go,
    All whom the flood did, and fire shall, o’erthrow,
    All whom war, dearth, age, agues, tyrannies,
    Despair, law, chance, hath slain, and you whose eyes,
    Shall behold God, and never taste death’s woe.”

    Mama, President Buhari and Nigerians feel the pains of your sudden death. Our President sent a condolence and consolation message to your son, Gen. Buratai conveying all the emotional pains he feels over your sudden demise. Let me quote a portion from it verbatim through the public statement by his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu. It states;

    “President Buhari also prayed that the Almighty God would comfort Lt.-Gen. Buratai, who has been at the epicenter of war against terrorists in North East, urging the family to find solace in Hajiya Hauwa’s good works.”

    I am touched by these words. They have consoled me that you are still alive, Mama! But like late Baba Buratai believed and you actively supported; “…mankind must be freed from the excesses of satanic souls.” Mama, your son, Gen. Buratai has kept every word of his late father, your husband, who told him at a tender age when he enlisted into the Nigerian Army that; “…be loyal to your superiors and constituted authority.”

    Before his death, Baba Buratai confessed that Gen. Buratai obeyed every word of his father in service of the nation. And today, he is performing wonders in the frontlines on Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorism in the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our cherished country, Nigeria. Gen. Buratai, your son is a sacrificial lamb for the freedom of Nigeria. May you find favour in the warm embrace of Almighty Allah.

    Mama, like a verse in the song of the Afro-American music maestro, Tony Gaye, mourning the death of his elder brother, Marvin Gaye; “our mother, you are gone, but your spirit is with us.”

    Adieu, Mama. Bye and bye, until we meet to part no more!

    Adam wrote this tribute from Biu, Borno State.

  • General Buratai, Nigerian Army and the place of patriotism

    General Buratai, Nigerian Army and the place of patriotism

    By Nkechi Odoma

    Assessing a phenomenon comprehensively at every point and dimension of history is quite difficult. It is impossible to get an accurately wholistic picture of any occurrence, so long as different people are involved in appraising it.

    And philosophers have profoundly argued that the preceptory senses of all human beings do not function on same polar in exactitude. The sense of interpretation of reality by humanity functions in dissimilar patterns. What is often adopted as the confluence point is the preponderance of a baseline.

    The Military like any other profession religiously relies on loyalty and the patriotism of those who operate under its temple. It means, everyone of them professes to its etiquettes and decrees regarded as sacrosanct. Where there is a betrayal or violation of the institutional oath or its operational creeds, the organization or institution becomes endangered in many facets.

    The military subscribes to total obedience, professionalism, loyalty and patriotism in the discharge of its constitutionally defined responsibilities. It is central to the operations of the Military. That’s why acts of insubordination in the Military is ruthlessly handled and with all seriousness.

    Many Nigerians have no inkling about the reasons responsible for the ravaging and festering of Boko Haram terrorism in the country which constituted a nationally perpetual source of agonies. What most people knew was the simplistic understanding that Boko Haram killed, abducted, committed acts of arson, and raped married women and teenage girls because they were mightier.

    Even the critically-minded never bothered to deeply reflect on the menace of terrorism in Nigeria; its entrenched tentacles or fortress in the Nigeria’s neighbouring countries such as Chad, Niger and the Cameroun republics. What was frequently bandied in public domain was that Boko Haram factional leader and his top commanders were all powerful and had Nigeria on their palms, which they caress mindlessly in violent destructions or bloodbath.

    To these minds, the Nigerian military, and in particular, the Nigerian Army was at best, a bunch of effeminate assemblage of men and women, who fed robustly on state resources, without justifying it in actions on the battlefield. Nigerian soldiers were ridiculed as an Army which could not fight a less trained ragtag army such as Boko Haram. People defamed our soldiers as weaklings and disingenuous in warfare, the reason for their existence.

    But a plethora of factors accounted for the lackluster performance of the Nigerian Army before President Muhammadu Buhari was ordained leader of Nigeria. Thereafter, he appointed Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai as the Chief of Staff (COAS; an appointment he added an additional mandate as leader of the counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria.

    An avalanche of reasons fired the glaring incompetency of soldiers in courageously and victoriously facing the Boko Haram insurgency in the preceding administration. Some people are aware of this water-tight fact and the masterminds are not in the dark too. But it is not everything on security that ought to be naked in public space.

    Even a blindman discerned the lack of patriotism and loyalty of the Army to their Commander-in-Chief and other senior leaders of the time. Soldiers of the era were not even patriotic to their country. It was not questionable that they regaled in this unpatriotic act for suspected vicarious benefits.

    Of course, when Nigerians persistently heard stories about instigated mutiny in the frontlines and soldiers shirking in the heat of battle before enemy forces, it only expressed the extent of degeneration in the Army as an institution. It was not surprising they failed to achieve any tangible results in the counter-terrorism combats.

    And there was no option because the Army of the time was perilously populated by spies and betrayers of the country in favour of enemy forces. Secret information leaked easily and tales of ambushes were rampant. Several unpleasant and unprofessional acts occurred behind the scenes at the theatre of war and no one was apologetic about it.

    But a knowledgeable and astute soldier, Gen. Buratai understood all the minutiae and challenges. It explains why he focused his initial days as the Army’s Chief helmsman to reposition the Army into a professional institution, responsible, responsive, loyal and patriotic in the discharge of their constitutional mandates.

    With the right clan of comrades, adequately prepared for the task, Gen. Buratai has effectively utilized soldiers in the positive service of Nigeria. Today, Nigerians are seeing an Army which is ready to die on the battlefield in defence of their country than allow terrorists of whatever hue feast on blood of Nigerians.

    Whichever direction the pendulum swings, one can say, it is Gen. Buratai or Nigerian Army. Or, whether option ‘A ‘or ‘B’ and even both, the destination is the same in the service of the nation in the Army of today.

    Everyone can attest that their sacrifices have guaranteed them a prestigious place in history. Under the Buhari Presidency, the Nigerian Army has surpassed expectations and even those who shy away from confessing it publicly, exclaim it in privacy. It has handled the insurgency decisively and these deeds have not gone unnoticed.

    But as usual, a lot of Nigerians only identify and align the perfection of Gen. Buratai and the Nigerian Army to the counter-insurgency and other Internal Security (IS) operations. But that’s the lacuna in human perception earlier hinted. The truth is that the Nigerian Army is also famed endearingly in handling other issues bordering on security in Nigeria outside terrorism. A Nigeria without an Army would have gone extinct by now.

    Soldiers have been the rescuers and saving grace of Nigeria on many precarious public security threats. Normally, the Presidency issues the orders for the deployment of the Army over security issues that have overwhelmed civil security. And each of the interventions of soldiers on Internal Security has resolved the problem quietly in favour of Nigeria’s peace and security.

    And manifold examples are handy. No Nigerian will dispute that Nigeria’s eighth democratic republic would have been an illusion if not because of the intervention of the Nigerian Army. The country’s politicians who are badged perpetually as power monks ganged-up to forcefully wrest power from the incumbent who was re-contesting for second term and the popular choice of Nigerian masses.

    There were flyers from meetings in their secret shrines, especially by some opposition elements that the 2019 elections should be bloodily rigged in their favour. Political thugs and election riggers were empowered to execute the job. It was scary and disturbing.

    Arms and ammunitions were stockpiled in different parts of Nigeria, ready to be unleashed on Nigerians on election-day. Bloodshed was already prepared and hovering in the air for Nigerians, only waiting in the offing to be unleashed on the d-day.

    President Buhari got wind of it. He acted on intelligence reports immediately in national interest, by deploying Nigerian Army to complement civil security in the 2019 electoral exercise. Soldiers saved the day, as there were attempts of violence, but the initiators were not given a chance to carry out the evil by the Army.

    All two segments of national elections were conducted with near zero level of violence and bloodbath. The professionalism and neutrality of the Nigerian Army in the exercise is applauded to date.

    Those enjoying the success of that election and the stability of Nigeria’s transition from democracy to democratic government, least remember that Gen. Buratai and soldiers laid a smooth bed for them, by acting as defence bulwarks. The plotters were stopped and failed woefully to accomplish the deadly plots of violently disrupting the elections at the detriment of the lives of Nigerians.

    Likewise, in the face of the ravaging deadly Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria, measures to control its spread in the country were brazenly abused by Nigerians. Civil security drafted to enforce lockdown and restriction of movements, with the imposition of stay-at-home order by the Presidency, undeniably compromised the process by assisting the populace to flout the order to imperil public health

    Again, only Nigerian soldiers deployed to parts of Nigeria to enforce the stay-at-home order that has lessened the impact of Covid-19 spread in Nigeria. Or else, the country would have been in the hottest furnace of another national problem, recording thousands of infections and deaths daily.

    Gen. Buratai has proved in this instance too, that the Nigerian Army is after public good. But how many Nigerians ever genuinely sit back and reflect on these to say, “thank you” to the Nigerian Army and Gen. Buratai? Therefore, it is not baffling when knowledge of Gen. Buratai or Nigerian Army’s messianic roles in service and protection of the nation is narrowed down to only Boko Haram.

    It is amazing that people only talk about Buratai’s heroism on terrorism combats and forgetting the other equally very sensitive areas where the Army has come first and stainless in the course of interventions. Has anybody ever cared to know what Niger Delta militancy, armed banditry and cattle rustling would have done to Nigeria without the Army?

    And what ethno-religious crisis, herdsmen/farmers inferno, violent separatists agitations, and communal clashes would have done to the challenges of insecurities in Nigeria had the Army been unresponsive? Gen. Buratai and the Nigerian Army’s patriotism have indisputably earned them a colorfully prestigious place in the nation’s Hall of fame. The day of a formal festivity in celebration of these great heroes and heroines would certainly come.

    Odoma wrote this piece from Abuja,