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Tag: Ibrahim Attahiru

  • Army removes commander over Boko Haram attacks

    Army removes commander over Boko Haram attacks

    The Nigerian Army has replaced the theatre commander of the troops fighting the Boko Haram sect, Ibrahim Attahiru, after half a year following a string of insurgency attacks despite years of official claims the group has almost been defeated.

    The shake-up underscores the fragility of the security situation in Nigeria’s North East where the conflict with Boko Haram is now in its ninth year, despite assertions by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration that it is on its last legs.

    Read Also: Army kills Three insurgents in Borno

    Attahiru is being replaced by Major Gen. Rogers Nicholas in the wake of a series of “embarrassing” attacks, two military sources told Reuters.

    They said the conduct of the war against the insurgents is now being reviewed.

    “The attacks that occurred during Attahiru’s command included the kidnapping of members of an oil prospecting team which led to at least 37 people being killed in July, and deadly assaults on the towns of Magumeri, Biu and Madagali,” the sources said.

     

     

  • Boko Haram: Olonisakin visits troops in North-East

    Boko Haram: Olonisakin visits troops in North-East

    The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, on Wednesday began an operational visit of troops fighting the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.

    The CDS visited the Military Command and Control Centre, and the Theatre Command of the Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Maiduguri.

    The Theatre Commander, Maj. -Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, said the visit was part of a routine exercise to the Theatre of operation.

    Attahiru explained that the CDS would be briefed on activities of troops and the campaign against Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.

    “We are to provide first-hand information on the operational activities in the theatre.

    “The visit will avail the CDS with the opportunity to understand the issues, challenges and how to address them,” he said.

    Olonisakin was accompanied by senior military and police officers during the visit to the Theatre Command.

    NAN

    Read Also: Boko Haram may be regrouping, NLC warns FG

  • Our main thrust is to decapitate all terrorists’ factions – Buratai

    Our main thrust is to decapitate all terrorists’ factions – Buratai

    Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, says the main thrust now of the military operations in the North-East is the decapitation of all the remaining terrorists’ factions.

    “With this feat achieved, the relevance of Shekau is no longer of any consequence,” Buratai said.

    In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, by Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, the Director of Army Public Relations, Buratai commend the Theatre Commander, Operations Lafiya Dole and troops for neutralising five top commanders of the Boko Haram terrorists.

    He expressed satisfaction with the zeal and determination of troops to capture the Boko Haram terrorists’ factional leader, Abubakar Shekau, dead or alive, in line with his directive which is yet to be achieved.

    The army chief, on July 21, gave the Theatre Commander, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, 40 days deadline to capture the terrorists’ leader.

    The deadline expired on Aug. 30.

    He noted that the five key leaders of the insurgents recently eliminated by the troops “were the closest associates and right hand men of the terrorists’ group leader – Shekau.”

    “Within the same period, 82 of the Boko Haram terrorists were eliminated.

    “Therefore, the commander (of theatre command) was very close to achieving the directive.

    “The theatre commander has asked for the extension of the deadline and it was granted.

    “Given deadlines and extensions are strategic means of focusing troops’ efforts in the theatre,” Buratai said.

    He urged the people of the North-East and indeed Nigerians to be more confident of the Nigerian troops and go about their normal activities.

  • U.S to help Nigeria defeat Boko Haram

    U.S to help Nigeria defeat Boko Haram

    The U.S. on Tuesday reiterated its readiness to support the Nigerian Government to accomplish its mission of defeating the Boko Haram insurgency and restore normalcy in the North-East.

    Sen. Christopher Coons, Head of the U.S. Congress Delegation, stated this during an assessment visit to the Theatre Command of Operation LAFIYA DOLE in Maiduguri.

    Coons said that the visit was designed to appraise the performance of the military and to enable him to understand the challenges facing the Armed Forces in accomplishing its mission to defeat the insurgents.

    “I am pleased to head the Delegation of the U.S. Congress; three Senators and three House members to come and hear about the hard work of the military in the Northeast of Nigeria.

    “The US is strongly supporting the hard work of the military in combating terrorism and we are glad for the opportunity to know how we can support Nigeria in combating terrorism,”he said.

    Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, said the visit would strengthen the relationship between the Nigerian government and the U.S.

    Attahiru said that the delegation was at the Army Command and Control Centre to appraise its performance and on how they can support the military to accomplish the counter insurgency operation.

    “The U.S. promised that it will soon equip the military with fighter jets and other State-of-the-Art combat equipment to enable us to root out Boko Haram in their enclaves once and for all,” he said.

    Members of the U.S. Congress delegation are: Senators Gary Peters, Michael Bennet and Representatives Lisa Rochester, Terri Sewel, Charlie Dent, Barbara Lee, Fedrica Wilson, among others.

     

  • Army special school to train Police, NSCDC

    Army special school to train Police, NSCDC

    The Nigerian Army Special Forces School in Buni Yadi, Yobe, will train “strike forces” which will be deployed in liberated communities in North-East, Defence Minister, Mansur Dan-Ali, has said.

    The personnel of group, according to him, will be drawn from the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other security agencies.

    The minister, who announced this on Sunday when he visited the school, said that the personnel would be trained under a pilot programme and that deployment would start with Bama town in Borno.

    He said that the arrangement would enable troops of Operation Lafiya Dole, to concentrate on the ongoing clearance operations to flush out the remnants of the terrorists.

    He addressed troops undergoing training in the school, and assured them that the Federal Government would provide necessary equipment that would enable them to flush out the terrorists in the zone.

    Dan-Ali said that the insurgents, who had been weakened, had resorted to ambushes, kidnapping and other sorts of criminality, hence the need to re-strategise the operation.

    He urged the troops to remain united and synergise with other security agencies in the fight against the terrorists.

    He advised them not allow the July 25 incident, when terrorists ambushed and killed some troops and NNPC and University of Maiduguri workers, to dampen their morale.

    The minister said that was at the school to see things for himself, after Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, directed the Service Chiefs, to relocate to the Command and Control Centre, to charge of operation.

    The minister commended the troops for the “good job” they were doing for the nation and participated in the firing exercise along with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, Theatre Commander, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru.

    He used the opportunity to inspect 49 newly acquired combat vehicles, including Armoured Personnel Carrier and gun trucks for the school.