The military has 86 more days to deliver on its mandate to crush Boko Haram terrorists. But, with pockets of attacks by the fleeing insurgents, the fundamentalists may be sending a message to the 8,700 man strong Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) that the battle will not be a walkover, writes BUNMI OGUNMODEDE
SINCE the Presidential marching order to the military to crush Boko Haram terrorists by December, the military has been on the offensive, taking the battle to the insurgents in their hideouts. Many of the camps have been destroyed by troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) drawn from five Lake Chad Basin countries of Nigeria, Chad, Niger Cameroon and Republic of Benin.
Hundreds of civilian victims, rescued from such camps after military raids, have been taken to the various Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) camps in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
Unlike before when insurgents had all the luxury to map out coordinated attacks on government institutions, markets, churches, schools, police stations and military bases, members of the terrorist group who are fleeing their camps have been attacking soft spots. Uncomfortable with the heat being turned on them by troops, scores of the insurgents have been surrendering to the military in Borno State, the epicenter of the insurgency in the Northeast.
The counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast, code-named: “Operation Lafiya Dole”, introduced by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Gen. Buratai Tukur Yusuf, and other Service chiefs have been yielding results.
According to the Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, more terrorists and fighters are willing to surrender to the military. He listed the new strategies employed to include: sustained offensive operations; pre-emptive air strikes by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and routes blocking by ground troops all geared towards constricting and snuffing out the Boko Haram terrorists.
“Many of the terrorists that willingly surrendered painted images of mass panic and hysteria among their erstwhile colleagues who are feeling the noose tightening on their necks with the relentless efforts of troops and renewed vigour in operations inspired by the personal leadership of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS),” Col. Usman said at a news conference.
“Terrorists also seem to have an inkling of what happens to surrendered suspects as regards screening and de-radicalisation of innocent ones among them,” the army spokesman added.
He said that the Army, in conjunction with the NAF and other security agencies would continue to devise and implement effective strategies to bring Boko Haram’s terrorism to a speedy end.
It will also continue, he added, to receive surrendering suspects and assured innocent ones among them that “surrender” is the only option open to them.
“The Nigerian Army wishes to also appreciate the great support and information it receives from well meaning citizens,” he said.
Besides routing the militants from their enclaves, the military has been cutting off their food and fuel supply channels as well as arresting some of their financiers – all to weaken and decapitate the militants, who have killed more than 15,000 people since they went violent in their agitations against western education in 2009.
But, the recalcitrant fundamentalists among the insurgents appear determined not to go down alone. There have been pockets of attacks on soft targets and, unfortunately, the attackers have turned out to be young girls, fuelling fears that the abducted Chibok schoolgirls may have been radicalised and indoctrinated.
More than 200 girls were abducted by insurgents from their dormitory in a government-run girls-only secondary school in Chibok, Borno State some 542 days ago. Since their abduction in April, last year, nothing has been heard of the girls, which the insurgents threatened to marry off or sell into slavery. The Federal Government has renewed its promise to rescue the girls and reunite them with their parents.
Early yesterday, some terrorists made a desperate attempt to invade the Buhari Housing Estate in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital. They later clashed with the Task Force Battalion troops stationed in Goniri, Yobe State. With multiple bomb explosions, they killed nine soldiers and 18 civilians. Many residents were seriously injured in the multiple attacks, but the insurgents suffered most. The troops killed more than 100 terrorists in the clash, the army said. There was no independent confirmation of this claim.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), said the military was on top of the situation, adding that everything would be done to forestall a reoccurrence.
Though the identities of the nine soldiers and the 18 civilians could not be ascertained yesterday, the military casualties may have been members of the 8,700-member MNJTF fighting insurgency in the Northeast.
On August 13, when he decorated Service chiefs with their new ranks at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, President Buhari gave them a three-month deadline to crush Boko Haram – the sect that has given Nigeria and its neighbours horrors.
Gen Olonisakin and Lt.-General Buratai were decorated as the CDS and COAS . , –Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas and Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar were decorated as Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and Chief of Air Staff (CAS).
Buhari, as the Commander-in-Chief, noted that the officers were qualified for the appointments, urging them to end terrorism by December
He said: “Rightly, the armed forces have been in the vanguard of the fight against terrorism. While commending the efforts of the armed forces so far, you need to brace and continue to team up with other stakeholders to come up with a well coordinated joint effort, which will bring a desired end to this insurgency within three months.
“In the course of carrying out this assignment, you must be accountable for all men and equipment placed under your command. Your troops’ welfare must be uppermost in your mind. Take care of them and make available what is due to them.
“Concerted efforts should also be made to make judicious use of resources that are available to you in search for solution to these challenges.
“On our own part, we shall be ready to give you the needed resources to achieve this feat. You will recall I have been to several countries with the sole aim of canvassing for global support to eliminate terrorism from Nigeria.”
The CDS, who responded on behalf of other Service chiefs, said they would not let down the nation just as he asked for the cooperation of all to defeat the sect.
He later told State House reporters that they would try their best.
He said: “We are already strategising on how to handle most of the challenges since we were appointed. And all these strategies we are beginning to put them in place, so we’ll just put in more efforts to ensure that we achieve the desire of the President.”
On if three months was enough to crush Boko Haram, Gen. Olonisakin said: “The President has given a presidential directive.”
The COAS has shown leadership by example, visiting the battle fronts regularly to boost troops’ morale, the latest being on Sallah Day, when Gen. Buratai relocated to Borno to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir with troops. He has also recommended all those involved in the war against terror for automatic promotion.
The nation is not in want of international support in the battle against terror. France pledged military assistance to the MNJTF. It made the announcement during President Muhammadu Buhari’s three-day visit to talk to France where he held talks about defence, security, trade and investments with his counterpart François Hollande.
Hollande made the pledge after a press conference with Buhari held at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris. He said France will provide the MNJTF with intelligence and equipment to help defeat the terrorists.
“France’s assistance to Nigeria against Boko Haram focuses mainly on intelligence operations,” a source close to Hollande was quoted by AFP as saying.
United States President Barack Obama also pledged more support to Nigeria in its fight against terrorism and corruption.
Though the regional offensive has recorded some success, such as the recapture of key towns in Borno and the destruction of camps but nothing much has been hard about the expansive Sambisa Forest, the stronghold of the insurgents in Borno State. In a Sallah Day video posted on the internet, members of the insurgents were seen feasting. The military says it is investigating the video. Boko Haram Commander Abubakar Shekau did not appear in the video.
He was also missing in a new video released by the sect yesterday. The video which was posted on BBC’s Twitter handle, showed members of the deadly sect pledging allegiance to Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
The spokesman of the insurgents, however, said the sect remained under the leadership of Shekau, who was last seen in February.
He also rejected claims that several insurgents had surrendered to the military. The insurgent also said it was untrue that the army had released some women and children abducted by the sect.
Truck loads of victims, rescued from Boko Haram captivity are being taken on daily basis for reintegration at the IDPs.
However, a source urged for sincerity in the war against terror. The source said a distinction should be made between the rescue of victims and the relocation of villagers by the military. The source said those relocated from their community and resettled at the IDPs to avoid possible Boko Haram raid should not be mistaken as captives.
According to the source, “if troops kill scores of insurgents, it is proper to seize from the terrorists weapons commensurate to the number of Boko Haram casualties. You can’t kill 70 insurgents and all you seize from them is seven AK 47. We all know that Boko Haram don’t fight with sticks, they fight with sophisticated weapons.”
Recovered from terrorists who fell to the troops’ superior fire power yesterday were: one general purpose machine; two rocket-propelled grenades; nine AK-47 rifles; belted rounds of 7.62 (NATO) ammunitions; wires used for IEDs, seven primed IEDs; different types of spanners and a torchlight.
The CDS, who was on tour of military formations and units in Rivers State, said the military is re-strategising to meet the December deadline set by the President to end insurgency.
“We are currently working on the December deadline by re-addressing our strategies to ensure that we meet the target,” Olonisakin said in Port Harcourt yesterday.
According to him, the visit to Port Harcourt was to ascertain the readiness and preparedness of troops to combat terrorism and insecurity in the country.
