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Tag: chief of army staff

  • Shekau is mad – Buratai

    Shekau is mad – Buratai

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Monday in Yola, described Abubakar Shekau, factional leader of the Boko Haram, as a mad man.

    Asked to react to the video posted by Shekau on Sunday where he claimed to be alive and in good health, Buratai said: “He – Shekau – is a mad man.

    “We don’t have anything to tell him, he is on his way to his waterloo.’’
    The chief of army staff said the army had stabilised the security situation in the North-East.

    He called on the Federal Government and government of the affected states to give priority attention to issues of peace building, reconstruction and humanitarian needs.

    “There is need to ameliorate the challenges of the IDPs,’’ he stressed.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while paying courtesy call on Gov. Jubrilla Bindow of Adamawa, Buratai said that the fight against insurgency had reached an advanced stage.

    He said the major challenge now was humanitarian and called on the government to provide the needed facilities to enable the IDPs return to their communities.

    The governor commended the army for degrading the insurgents and promised to continue to support the military.

  • Abuja residents sue Army chief, minister over alleged land grab

    Abuja residents sue Army chief, minister over alleged land grab

     

    Some residents and land owners in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have sued the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Tukur Buratai, FCT Minister, Mohammad Bello and others over alleged forceful appropriation of plots of land allocated to them.

    The plaintiffs, in the suit filed by their lawyer, Amobi Nzelu want that High Court of the FCT to stop the Minister and other defendants in the suit from further trespassing on plots of land located at Maitama Extension.

     

    Other defendants in the suit marked: CU/2566/16 are the Army Council and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

     

    A firm, Ogenyi Global Resource‎, who sued for itself and the other land owners  queried the right and powers of the minister to encroach on their land.

     

    The firm and others want the court to order the defendants to vacate the plots of land which they (the defendants) have forcibly occupied without any valid court order.

     

    In the alternative, they want the court ‎to compel the Minister to make alternate allocation of plots of land to them in a choice area in Abuja or award a compensation of N50m as damages for the action of the FCT minister.

     

    In the statement of claim, the firm accused the FCT minister of unilaterally revoking the plots allocated to them without statutory notice.

     

    The plaintiff said the plots of land were duly allocated to them without encumbrances, and that the purported revocation of the land did not comply with the provision of the Land Use Act.

     

    The land owners said they will be willing to accept monetary compensation to show goodwill in the matter.

     

    According to them, ‎the cost of a plot of land in the said Maitama Extension is between N200 to N300million.

    The plaintiff accused the FCT Minister and the Nigerian Army of violently possessing the plots of land about a month ago.

     

    They said that the defendants have no right to take over their lands without any valid court order.

     

    The plaintiffs contended that the defendants could  only exercise the right of revocation for overriding public interest and nothing more.

     

    ‎The case is yet to be assigned to any judge for hearing.

     

  • The military lacks power to declare civilians wanted-Falana

    The military lacks power to declare civilians wanted-Falana

     

    Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has said that the military authority lack the power to declare civilians as wanted persons.

    Falana who made this clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos in reaction to the three persons, Ahmed Bolori,a social worker; Aisha Wakil, a lawyer and human rights activist and Ahmed Salkida, a journalist declared wanted on Sunday by the military over alleged link with Boko Haram.

    He said the military should stop further harassment of the three civilians.

    He advised “since journalists and other civilians in combat operations are entitled to full legal protection under the Constitution and the Geneva Convention, the Nigerian Army should be directed by the Chief of Army Staff to stop any further harassment of the “wanted” persons.

    “As a matter of urgency, the National Human Rights Commission should make it clear to the members of the armed forces that we are no longer under military dictatorship when the fundamental rights of the Nigerian people were violated with impunity.

    By declaring the three persons wanted without any legal authority the army has usurped the statutory powers of both the Police and the SSS adding, “in the process it has breached the fundamental rights of the ‘suspects’ to personal liberty, dignity of the person and fair hearing guaranteed by the Constitution.

    “In addition, the freedom of movement of Mrs Wakil and Mr. Bolori whose passports have been illegally impounded has also been violated by the army. Even under the defunct military dictatorship in Nigeria the arrest and detention of journalists as well as the closure of media houses by security operatives were declared illegal by several courts. Indeed, on several occasions, the ruling military oligarchy was ordered to pay monetary damages for the breach of the human rights of journalists and very many other citizens”.

    He stated for instance “the Punch newspaper was awarded reparation of N22 million over the 1994 closure of its business premises and detention of its editor, Mr. Bola Bolawole by the combined team of armed soldiers and mobile policemen under the  Sani Abacha junta.

    “In Civil Liberties Organisation v Nigeria (2001) AHRLR 75 some journalists who reported s phantom  coup plot against the Abacha junta were tried before  a Special Military Tribunal. They were convicted and jailed for being accessories after the fact of treason.

    “The complainant dragged the federal government to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, The Gambia. As the federal military government had no defence to the allegations of mistrial the African Commission held that the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the convicts violated Article 7 (1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. Similar trials of civilians by military courts in Mauritania and Sudan have been vitiated by the Commission on the ground that they failed to meet the independence test”, he stated.

    Falana recalled that on Sunday, August 14, 2016, the proscribed   Boko Haram terrorist sect had released a video showing some of the abducted Chibok girls.  Shortly thereafter, the Nigerian Army declared three persons wanted over alleged links with the terrorist organisation and for concealing information from the federal government on the whereabout of the girls who were kidnapped on April 14, 2014.

    Although Mrs Wakil reported herself to the army soon after the announcement, she was released and asked to await further instructions. She and Mr. Bolori have since been admitted to administrative bail by the army after meeting some conditions including the submission of their international passports. Thus, the planned pilgrimage to Mecca by the duo has been aborted by the army without any legal basis.

    In justifying the decision to declare the three persons wanted the Nigerian army spokesperson, Colonel Sani Usman, stated that “there is no doubt that these individuals have links with  Boko Haram Terrorist sect and have contacts with them. They must therefore come forward and tell us where the group is keeping the Chibok girls and other abducted persons to enable us rescue them…We rely on the relevant laws of the land and in particular the Terrorism Prevention Act  (as amended) where Nigerians could be punished for failure to disclose information about terrorists or terrorist activities.”

    He also recalled that Salkida, in his reaction to the serious allegations of withholding information and maintaining contacts with the terrorist stated via his Twitter that the video in question was sent to him before the girls’ abductors uploaded it on Youtube.

    Notwithstanding the gravity of the allegations of maintaining contacts  with a terrorist movement and concealing information  from the federal government, Falana contended that the decision of the Nigerian army   to declare the “suspects” wanted is ultra vires, illegal and unconstitutional in every material particular.

    “Since the wanted persons are not serving military personnel who are subject to service law they cannot be investigated or tried under the Armed Forces Act Cap A20 LFN, 2004.  Furthermore, under  the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 as amended the army has not been authorized to perform any duty whatsoever.

    ”In other words, the powers of arrest, investigation and prosecution under the Act have been vested in the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service. In the circumstances, the Nigerian Army ought to have made available to either the Police or the SSS any evidence or information concerning the alleged links of the three persons to the terrorist body”, he stated.

     

  • Military will restore full peace to North East – Buratai

    Military will restore full peace to North East – Buratai

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has assured that the military will restore full peace to the North East in line with the desire of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Buratai gave the assurance while addressing troops undergoing training at the Nigerian Army Special Forces Training School at Buni Yadi, Yobe.

    He charged the troops to sustain the momentum of ongoing counter insurgency operations to flush out the insurgents.

    According to him, “Operation Lafia Dole’ has entered a critical stage. You must sustain the momentum; there is no going back

    “There is no time to waste. We want full restoration of peace in the North East. That is what the president wants’’, the chief of army staff said.

    Buratai later told newsmen that he was in Buni Yadi to see how the troops undergoing the Special Forces training were faring.

    He explained that the exercise was to make the personnel resilient and be able to withstand challenges they might face in the course of the ongoing operations.

    Buratai also explained that the school was relocated from Niger state to Buni Yadi in view of the strategic location of the town in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgents.

    “We know the importance of this place – Buni Yadi. This is the route they (insurgents) passed through to other parts of the North East and even Plateau in the North Central.

    “It is better for us to have dominated and taken over the place’’, he said, and assured the troops of their welfare and logistics need, including required equipment to prosecute the war.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Buni Yadi is the headquarter of the 27 Task Force Brigade of the Nigeria Army.

    It will be recalled that Buratai had charged the military to remain focused until the insurgents were crushed, when he spoke at the end of a three-day “Combat Support Arms Training Week 2016’’ in Maiduguri, on Wednesday.

  • Scores of cattle rustlers, armed bandits flee Zamfara- Buratai

    Scores of cattle rustlers, armed bandits flee Zamfara- Buratai

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai in Gusau on Thursday said that intelligence reports indicated that many cattle rustlers and bandits were already fleeing the forest in Gusau.

    Buratai made the disclosure during activities to mark the Army Day celebration in Gusau.

    “We have also got the report that many of the criminals are already on the run in the forest.

    “We understand that they are trying to escape from the ongoing operation but this will not deter us from going on with the operations,” he said.

    He noted that the Army would sustain the offensive against the criminals until all known enclaves in the forest were cleared.

    The Army chief assured the people of the state and residents of the entire North-West that the present efforts would address the security challenge in the region.

    On his part, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari said local vigilantes and members of some border communities in the state had reported seeing some of the criminals escaping from the Dansadau forest.

    He said some of the bandits had informed the communities that they were fleeing their enclaves in the forest with plans to return in the future.

    Yari said there was need for the military to establish a unit near the troubled communities to forestall a re-occurrence of the attacks on communities by the criminals.

    “We have received reports from our people in the border towns and villages about the mass movement of the criminals.

    “Many of them are reported to have escaped to villages across the border outside Nigeria for fear of the Army.

    “Our worry is that they may return after the soldiers leave, they indeed wrote to the communities that they were leaving to return after the military operation.

    “The solution, therefore, is for the Federal Government to establish an Army unit in the state to deter these criminals from returning,” he said.

    He commended the efforts put on ground so far to address the menace of cattle rustling and armed banditry.

    Yari said the state had lost so much to the activities of both rustlers and armed bandits in the state.

    Scores of bandits and cattle rustlers have been arrested by the Army in recent operations in the North-West while thousands of cattle have also been recovered in different operations by security agencies in the region.

     

  • Sacking of senior military officers timely, says Army Chief

    Sacking of senior military officers timely, says Army Chief

    The Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) Lt. General Tukur Buratai on Monday said that the Army followed due process leading to the sacking of over 35 senior military officers last week, describing the action of the authority as timely and appropriate.

    “There is no better time than now because everything has been taken into consideration and procedures have been followed to ensure that we don’t pick the innocent ones. You can see it started with the enquiries first of all, then legal review and after the legal review, we forwarded the report and recommendations to the authority for consideration”, General Buratai said.

    The Army Chief made the clarification while fielding questions from newsmen during a courtesy call on the Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu, in Abuja.

    Flanked by top military officers, Gen Buratai said the call on the minister was necessitated by the need for collaboration and partnership with the Ministry for the deployment of Information and Communication Technology, ICT,  equipment and facilities to achieve peace in the country.

    He also said the military high command is awaiting the outcome of the on-going dialogue between the federal government and other stakeholders on the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers to know the next line of action.

    Gen Buratai, however, added that whatever the outcome, the military has the responsibility and duty to maintain peace, law and order in the country.

    He said the military authority is not overwhelmed by the sudden upsurge of militant activities in the Niger Delta region in view of their commitments to route-out insurgents in the northeast.

    His words: “The Niger Delta issue did not come up yesterday or today,  we are already deployed to the Niger/Delta for a very long time. The operations there comprise the armed forces and other security agencies. It entails operations where you have the Army, Navy and Airforce, the Police, Civil Defence and other security agencies, so I don’t think it is overwhelming, it cannot overwhelm the army forces and we are responding appropriately and ensure that things take shape.

    “We are instruments of the political class so whatever decision that the government passes out to us, we want to assure you that we are waiting for whatever decision that will come out from their discussion, but our role is very clear we must ensure that the security of that place is attained. As we await the directive of the authority”, Gen Buratai said.

    On the sacking of the senior military officers, he said:” why not now, there is no better time than now because everything has been taken into consideration and procedures have been followed to ensure that we don’t pick the innocent ones. You can see it started with the enquiries first of all, legal review and after the legal review, we forwarded the report and recommendations to the authority for consideration.

    “So it takes time, it is just like a court process, so we follow our own process, our administrative process and legal review as well. It is the right time and no any other time than now,” Gen Buratai noted, adding that the military high command has also commenced the process of deradicalisation of insurgents and their victims in the northeast of the country.

    “The issue of indoctrination. it is one of the programmes that we have. We have a camp  in Gombe, which the Defence Headquater is handling, it involves  the de-radicalising of the insurgents and their victims especially those who would have been indoctrinated.

    “So the process of their de-radicalisation is ongoing and it is a good point that you raised. Please it is not only the government that should be doing this, we appeal to the clergymen , Imams and Pastors to use all those their fora in the Mosque and Churches to preach against this type of indoctrination and ideology that are contrary to the teachings of the holy books. so it is the press responsiblity also to sponsor articles in papers to bring this issue out and point out the dangers of indoctrination.”

    Responding to his remarks on areas of collaboration with Military, the Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu commended the military high command for putting the insurgents on the run in the northeast of the country.

    He said the Ministry was prepared to collaborate with the armed forces to ensure that modern technology and equipment for communications are deployed to achieve peace in the country, noting that without peace no meaningful development can take shape.

  • Insecurity: COAS announces upgrade of 20 battalion in Taraba

    Insecurity: COAS announces upgrade of 20 battalion in Taraba

    The Nigerian Army 20 Battalion in Serti, Taraba State is being upgraded to a special unit for military regimentation and training, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai announced Friday.

    Buratai on a visit to the headquarters of the battalion in Gashaka Local Government Area of the state told reporters that heightened security situation along the Nigeria-Cameroon border and the imperative of entrenching professionalism in the army necessitated the upgrade.

    The Army headquarters will provide the required logistics and post more officers and soldiers to improve the status of the unit, he said.

    He described the unit and its location as unique, adding: “so we will make efforts to ensure that this status is maintained.

    “We are making it a model battalion where we have full compliments of a unit at all times that will be well drilled in regimentation.”

    He promised to “immediately address the accommodation needs of personnel in this unit and more troops will be posted to this unit.

    “Henceforth, young officers that pass out from the Defence Academy will be moved to this unit for regimentation training,” he said.

    Buratai said the Army was leveraging on the near perfect terrain in Serti, which, according to him, is conducive for training and the building of the soldiers’ regimentation.

    On his part, the Emir of Gashaka, Alhaji Mohammed Sambo, commended the effort of the military in securing the community.

    He said that the people of the community and soldiers at the 20 Battalion barracks enjoyed cordial relationship.

    Sambo assured the Army chief of more cooperation and support of the community.

  • Herdsmen may have affiliation with Boko Haram terrorists – Buratai

    Herdsmen may have affiliation with Boko Haram terrorists – Buratai

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Yusuf Buratai, has hinted that the attacks on villagers and farmers in many parts of the country by herdsmen may be due to likely affiliation with members of the Boko Haram terrorists.

    Buratai urged Nigerians to be security conscious and to report to the security agencies, any suspicious persons or group of people roaming about in their communities.

    The Army Chief of Staff, who gave the hint in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, when he visited Governor Ibikunle Amosun on Thursday, said the army is investigating the herdsmen and also pursuing them so that their menace could be addressed.

    “We want to call on all Nigerians to be security conscious and to report any suspicious persons or group of people that are roaming about in their communities.

    “One may not be too far from the fact that some of these herdsmen that are attacking communities across the country may have some affiliation with the Boko Haram terrorists.

    “This we are further investigating and also pursuing them so that we can address the situation, so let’s be security conscious. Let’s report quickly movement of suspicious persons carrying arms especially.

    “If you suspect any individual within your community, we should be able to report immediately. Timely information is very important. We have our troops deployed in certain areas and I believe the Police are working with them to be able to tackle any challenge that comes in from them,” Buratai said.

    He also revealed that members of the Boko Haram sect did not capture any village when they attacked a small community in Borno state few days ago, saying Nigerian troops responded swiftly and chased them away.

    He noted that troops are patrolling all places in Borno and coordinating with ‎the multinational joint task force to ensure that the nation’s borders are well secured and are blocked from any infiltration.

    He said: “they didn’t capture any village. They went and attack a community, small community in Borno State and our troops responded appropriately and we will continue to pursue them wherever they are.

    “This situation may continue for some time, this is just pocket of them that sneaked out to go and commit such atrocities. Our troops are on top of the situation and we will continue to address such challenges.

    “You know generally terrorism has no specific phase, they mix among the people anytime they want to strike, they sneaked out and commit such atrocities, so I want to tell you that no community is under Boko Haram as at now.

    “No local government or any ward that we can say is under any Boko Haram seige. Our troops are patrolling all those places and we are coordinating with ‎the multinational joint task force to ensure that the borders are well secured and are blocked from any infiltration.”

    Earlier, Amosun Called for Creation of Army Division in Ogun State.

    The Governor said Ogun State population has increased to over 7 million just as the economy of the state has also expanded to the point where the state can be said to be ripe for an Army Division of its own.

    “We want our own Army division here in Ogun State,” Governor said.

    He also lauded the Nigerian Army for the successes it has recorded against insurgency in the North East region of the country and cases of insecurity in other parts of the country.

    “We want to commend their effort because we know that before now we all know what the Boko Haram has turned Nigeria into, but up their effort, they have restored sanity by bringing back the dignity of the Nigerian Army and the entire Nigerians.

    ” Not only that ‎they are  helping in all the security challenges we are having as a nation. The nefarious activities of the herdsmen truly needs to be checked, the Avengers, the kidnapping and all sort.

    “The Army is being over worked. We are calling on them all the time and they are responding, for that; I want to say well done to them and still challenge them to do more.
    In Ogun State, the Army has been tremendous to us.

    “We thank them for this entire success story that we are recording. The most is rated the most secured state and I want to say that we can’t do it alone. All the security agencies in Ogun State are working together in harmony,” Amosun said.

  • Herdsmen’s killings: Buhari gives Chief of Army Staff, IGP matching order

    Herdsmen’s killings: Buhari gives Chief of Army Staff, IGP matching order

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday ordered the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Abayomi Olonishakin and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase to take immediate steps to secure communities under attack by herdsmen.
    The President also ordered Olonishakin and Arase to go after groups terrorizing innocent Nigerians in communities and villages.
    The President gave the matching order at the presentation of the book, “Who will Love my Country” written by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, in Abuja.
    President Buhari who was represented by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, warned that his government will no longer allow the attacks to continue.
    He specifically condemned the attacks said to have been carried out by Fulani herdsmen in Uzo-Uwani local government of Enugu State which claimed many lives on Sunday.
    He said, “Let me start by condemning in strongest terms the attacks by herdsmen in Enugu State on Monday.  I deeply sympathize with those who lost their lives as well as those who lost their property.
    “I have directed the Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector – General of Police to secure all communities under attacks by herdsmen and to go after the groups terrorising innocent people all over the country. This government will not allow these attacks to continue.”
    On the book, Buhari said that the author saw the need for attitudinal change for the purpose of fighting corruption and impunity and of course the need for Nigerians to love their country.
    He noted that “the author demonstrated in the book that Nigerians can only get the Nigeria of their dreams if they make bold efforts to put the nation’s interest above their individual interest.”
    He said, “We should start with individual attitude of change,  if we change our ways, the society will change for the better.
     “The author urged all tiers of government to undertake programmes and policies that will enhance the living standards of the people and ensure their happiness.
    “The 2016 budget is designed to bring our people out of poverty, enhance their living standards and bring smiles to their faces. The N500billion social intervention fund was designed to among others create jobs for 500, 000 unemployed graduates, provide loans for one million Nigerians including market men and women as well as artisans to start up their business.
    “It also includes feeding of 4.5million students in schools. Nigerians can only have and live in the country of their dreams by shunning corruption and desist from converting public property for personal usage or divert public funds to their private pockets.
    “I commend Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, for investing his time and energy to write the book which is a wake up call and thought provoking.”
    Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd) who chaired the event said that from the title of the book, it is easy to determine that Ekweremadu has set out on a journey of self discovery.
    Gen. Gowon said, “It is a journey that is hinged on patriotism. I will want to believe that the motivation to write this book, derives in that part from the circumstances of our nation’s contemporary history. In itself this could be likened to bad times in which new life cannot be brought forward.
    “Many years back we fought a war to remain united, indivisible nation, this was because we believe and still believe that what bounds us is far greater than what divides us.
    “There is no denying the fact that Nigeria is stronger together and that the future remains very bright. Let us continue to move together as one. Nigeria has a great potential to become great, but it is left for each and every one of us to do our best to ensure and hasten the process.
    “Who will Love My Country?  The truth is no one but you and I. The foreigner cannot love our country the way we will love it. Neither can you love other country more than you will like your own.
    “We shall overcome all challenges if the leadership is committed to truly serve the people, and avoid corruption which I believe that the current leadership will tackle.
    “Definitely not insurgency or Fulani herdsmen’s menace will divide us because with the help of God and cooperation of the citizenry and the gallant security forces, we shall soon conquer.”
    Senator Ekweremadu in his speech asked Nigerians to show more love for the country by rising above tribe, ethnic, religious and political persuasions, with a view to subordinate all the aforementioned interests, to the overriding interest of the country.
    He also called on Nigerian leaders to govern effectively and use power wisely, saying that was the only way to safeguard the citizens’ interest.
    He noted that to love Nigeria, would entail Nigerians to critically revise and reexamine their attitudes,  values, and how they treat one another, which “demands of us some sacrifice.”
    He asked: “Are we going to bequeath to our children a banner stained by corruption, bad governance, ineffective leadership, ethnicity, slacking moral values, decadence, mediocrity, and sloth? God forbid!”
    He said Nigeria needed to return to the path of progress and unity charted by the founding fathers.
    He said: “If you are on a journey and you find out that you are travelling the wrong road, the right thing to do is to turn back and take the right path.
    “We must be ready to surrender our perceived narrow advantages to the general good. We must let go, for unless you release the man you are holding to the ground, you would not also be able to move an inch. Now is the time to offer one another a hand of comradeship and together we can move to the Promised Land.”
    He reiterated the fact that he wrote the book, not as the Deputy President of the Senate, nor as a card carrying member of any political party, but as a patriotic Nigerian, who was concerned about Nigeria’s future.
    He added, “I lay no claims to having the solutions to Nigeria’s problems; I simply want to challenge and inspire Nigerians to rise above ethnic, partisan and selfish interests and focus more on how to build a better country for us and our children.”
    Ekweremadu, further charged Nigerian Leaders to “show fidelity to democratic imperatives of accountability and transparency, respect the laws of the land and respect the rights and liberties of citizens.
    “Nobody can save or help Nigeria but Nigerians. As Timi Dakolo rightly pointed out in his thought-provoking song, Great Nation, ‘We are all we have’. That is the message of this book.  There are no problems Nigerians cannot solve if we act in good faith, guided by the nation’s best interest.
    At the event, where a minute silence, at the behest of Ekweremadu, was observed in honour of those who were killed in Uzo Uwani in Enugu State as well as other parts of the country, the Deputy President of the Senate said “the sad incident further reinforces the need for this book and the ideas espoused in the book”.
    “The primary responsibility of government is the security of lives and properties of the citizens. We must rethink our security system to serve us better”, he declared.
    The book presentation had in attendance a retinue of serving and former governors, ministers, party leaders, federal lawmakers, across political divides.
    It also recorded a high turnout of members of the academia, diplomatic corps, and the civil society.
  • Insurgency: Army promises sustained collaboration with media

    Insurgency: Army promises sustained collaboration with media

    The Nigerian Army has promised to sustain collaboration with the media towards educating Nigerians on its ongoing anti-terrorism operation in the north-eastern part of the country.

    Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff, stated this on Saturday while inaugurating a newly refurbished studio at the North East Headquarters of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) in Maiduguri.

    He said that sustained collaboration with the media was imperative because of the role of the media in disseminating information to the people.

    “What happened was that I visited the station as part of our media programmes to enlighten the public on our activities in the countries.

    “I was surprised at the state of facilities at the studio and when I was asked to help I decided to offer a helping hand,’’ Buratai said.

    He, however, said the assistance he offered in renovating the complex did not come from the Nigerian army’s purse.

    “The Nigerian Army does not have that kind of money. What happened was that I sought for help from a friend who offered to provide money for the renovation work,’’ Buratai said.

    He advised members of the staff of the station to make maximum use of the studio by offering better services to viewers.