Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters has a new spokesman, Major General John Enenche.
He replaced Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar who is now the Director of Information Management in the Department of Civil Military Affairs, Army Headquarters.
Until his appointment as the new Defence Spokesman, Major General Enenche was the Defence Liaison Officer at the Defence Headquarters.
He has since taken over with effect from 6 March 2017.
Despite the liberation of Sambisa forest where the Chibok girls were reportedly kept by their Boko Haram captors, the Nigerian military has said it would not disclose the girls’ whereabouts.
Over 200 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno, were abducted from their hostels in April 2014.
About 30 of them have regained freedom since last year, while others are still in captivity.
Briefing journalists on Thursday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Acting Director of Defence Information, Defence Headquarters, Abuja, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubarkar said “neither the military nor any security agency will give information on the Chibok girls in order not to jeopardize their safety.”
Abubarkar, who assured that the military will do everything to rescue the girls however pointed out that “information on strategy to rescue the will never be disclosed.”
On Boko Haram, the Defence spokesman said the terror group is now in disarray and had been destroyed.
He said the pockets of attacks being witnessed are carried out by escapees, stating that” Boko Haram can never regroup as they did in Sambisa forest.”
He also said the female suicide bombers are persons who were drugged before they are sent on the suicide mission.
The Defence Headquarters on Monday said Boko Haram militants now disguise as vigilante members and hunters to evade the military.
The Defence Spokesman, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, said the military discovered the Boko Haram militants’ latest antics during a coordinated offensive against remnants of the terrorists in Sambisa forest.
He said, “The fleeing terrorists now disguise as vigilantes or hunters to evade easy detection. The terrorists, after they have been smoked out of Sambisa forest and in their desperation to wreak havoc on innocent Nigerians and to remain relevant, devised a new tactics of dressing like vigilantes or hunters to deceive unsuspecting members of the public on their true identity.
“The case of Kuda-Kaya Village in Madadali community of Adamawa State where a group of Boko Haram terrorists, dressed like vigilantes, opened fire on elated people during a ceremony readily come to mind. The general public is hereby advised to be wary of unsubscribed services or presence of vigilantes or hunters in their neighbourhood in order not to ignorantly harbour killer gang in their midst.”
The Director of Defence Information, Defence Headquarters, Brig.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, on Thursday said the military will rehabilitate repentant Boko Haram members through its “Operations Safe Corridor.”
Abubarka stated this at a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.
He said the operation was to rehabilitate, reintegrate, empower and de-radicalise surrendered members of the sect.
He said,“Nigeria being a signatory to United Nations conventions must comply fully with that portion of the convention.
“Even if you arrest or capture an enemy or prisoner of war, by international law, you are to treat him with all human dignity. You must do that, as long as you are a signatory to UN convention.
“We evolved a policy by the defence headquarter and that operation is called operation ‘Safe Corridor’.
“Operation safe corridor is an operation trying to rehabilitate, reintegrate, empower and de-radicalise those that surrendered and those captured.
“It is not in any way amnesty. We are trying to comply fully with international best global practices and that is why we came up with that.
“`The Chief of Defence Staff, Maj.-Gen. Abayomi Olonishakin with other service chiefs agreed to this and they came up with it, which is the first of its kind since the Boko Haram terror began.
“And very soon, we will have a camp somewhere in the Northeast where they will be kept for empowering and reintegrating and de-radicalising them.’’
… Sect providing loans to entrepreneurs, artisans in Northeast
The Nigerian Army on Wednesday said Boko Haram has devised a new strategy for recruiting youths in the northeast.
The Acting Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe AAbubakar, in a statement said Boko Haram terrorists are at the moment giving loans to young entrepreneurs and artisans to induce them into the sect.
The statement reads: “It has come to the knowledge of the Defence Headquarters that Boko Haram terrorists have now devised another means of recruiting unsuspecting youths into their fold. In this clandestine dispensation, Boko Haram terrorists have resorted to providing loans to young entrepreneurs and artisans in the Northeast as a way of inducing them for recruitment.
“The major targets of the unholy business engagement are youths in the Northeast, especially the butchers, traders, tailors, beauticians and other vocational entrepreneurs who could be easily enticed with such loan without paying attention to sundry inherent dangers associated with the acceptance of such goodies from this satanic group or unfamiliar source. After such loans, the beneficiaries are given the option of either joining the group or risk being killed if they fail to pay the loan as at when due, whereas the payment has been surreptitiously programmed to fail by the benefactor, the Boko Haram.
“It is pertinent to state that having been effectively decimated and degraded, the remnant or surviving splinter groups of Boko Haram are desperate to recruit more people into their ranks and files as a result of sustained onslaught against them by the troops. The Defence Headquarters hereby advises the general public, especially those in the North east, to constantly be wary and conscious of various tactics of the desperate Boko Haram militants. They should be guided to avoid loan or financial assistance from non-conventional source but from conventional financial institutions such as banks, organised trade unions or institutionalised savings and loans establishments. Acting otherwise may lead to painful and untimely death from the blood-thirsty Boko Haram terrorists.”
The Defence Headquarters yesterday named Rabe Abubakar, a colonel as its new director of information.
He replaces Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade, who has attained the retirement age of 35 years in the military.
Gen. Olukolade, who is proceeding on retirement, remains in active service till September.
Addressing newsmen shortly after taking over, Col. Abubakar said he was aware and conscious of the security challenges in the country as well as the need for collective efforts to confront it.
He said: “There is absolute need for synergy of efforts and collaboration among all stakeholders to re-strategise in the area of information collection, management and determination in counter terrorism and insurgency.”
The new director of information promised to make himself readily accessible, available, responsive and proactive in dealing with the media and other partners in the course of promoting military/media relationship.
He promised to maintain excellent and robust relations with the media and rally every organisation to support Armed Forces operations and activities.
Col Abubakar reiterated his intention to adopt positive measures in his resolve to promote excellent civil/military relations, thereby gaining public understanding and goodwill for troops in the theatre of operations.
He promised to maintain the professional standard set by his predecessor, and even work hard to improve upon it by tapping from his wealth of experience and knowledge from time to time.
Col Abubakar was born on April 7, 1965. He hails from Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State.
On completion of his secondary education, he proceeded to obtain his Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and was later commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1989.
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