BREAKING NEWS, Defence
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Lt Gen. TY Buratai, chief of army staff, visits troops, hoists Nigeria’s Flag at a recaptured border town with Cameroon and warns that the war on terrorism is not yet over as terrorists are still planting bombs in isolated places
| By Maureen Chigbo | Sep. 10, 2015 @ 11:14 GMT |
Lt. General Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, COAS, on Wednesday, September 9, warned Nigerian troops that the war against terrorism was not yet over. He gave the warning when he visited the troops at a recaptured border town with Cameroon in Borno State. Lt. General Buratai warned the troops that there was a lot to do and that the war is not over as the terrorists were yet to give up.
He stated that the terrorists plant improvised explosive devices, IEDs, and attack isolated communities, urging the troops to ensure that they stopped the terrorists. He further assured of his continued support to the units. He also had a brief interaction with a spontaneous and mammoth crowd of both Nigerian refugees and Cameroonian citizens across the river that converged to greet him.
In addition, the COAS had a durbar with the Special Forces who bared their minds on quite a number of issues to which he obliged them with instant solutions and promises.
Later in the evening, during a special Camp Fire to celebrate the recapture of Dikwa and Gomboru Ngala, Lt Gen Buratai apart from further interacting with the troops, decorated an officer, Muhammed Abu Ali, who was earlier granted accelerated promotion from the rank of Major to Lieutenant Colonel for his courage, bravery and exceptional performance during the fight against the Boko Haram terrorists. The COAS later in the night, had interaction with all the officers during which he gave operational directives to the commanders.
This singular act by the chief of army staff, according to a statement issued by Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman acting director, Army Public Relations, is quite unique and unparalleled as this is the first time in recent times and indeed the history of the fight against terrorism and insurgency that the COAS will visit the fringes of war front and slept in the trenches amidst heavy downpour. “This singular effort and rare show of leadership by example has boosted the troops’ morale as could be seen on their faces and comments,” the statement which was made available to Realnews on Thursday, September 10.
The COAS visit to the troops came after the conclusion of the NA 2015 RSM Convention that took place in Maiduguri and the hand-over of 128 cleared suspected Boko Haram terrorists to Kashim Shetima, executive governor of Borno State, visited troops in the front line at the strategic border town of Gomboru Ngala.
While there, he addressed troops and performed a symbolic ceremony of hoisting Nigeria’s national flag at the border between Nigeria and Cameroon at the strategic and economic town of Gomboru Ngala, just by the river bank that divides the two countries. “This signifies the restoration of Nigeria’s authority and complete possession of its territory within the area,” the statement said.
During the brief ceremony, he commended the troops for the feat of recapturing the strategic and economic town of Gomboru Ngala. He stated that the recapture of the town was in line with vision and the mission of the Nigerian Army of defending the territorial integrity of our great nation. He also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for providing all the desired leadership, support and logistics that made the Nigerian Army to perform effectively.
The chief of army staff was accompanied by Major General YM Abubakar, Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole and head of Military Command and Control Centre, Major General II Abbas, the commander, Multinational Joint Task Force, Major General FO Ali, chief of Training and Operations, Major General RO Yusuf, commander, Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps, Major General LEO Irabor, coordinator of Army Aviation, Major General LO Adeosun, General officer Commanding 7 Division, Brigadier General ASH Sa’ad, director of Military Intelligence, and Brigadier General AT Hamman, provost marshall.
Others include Air Liaison Officer and the Operations Officer of the Multinational Joint Task Force, Lt Col d’ Aviation Muhammad Yaya from Chad and Colonel Fonton Djio Richard Rahel from Cameroon, respectively and Brigadier General IJ Unuigbe, director of Clothing and Stores, Colonel KO Aligbe, Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of Army Staff, Colonel SK Usman, acting director of Army Public Relations, Colonel WD Nasir, liaison officer of the Multinational Joint Task Force and Colonel AE Ajose, deputy director at the Operation Monitoring Directorate, as well as Olafimihan Adeoye, deputy commissioner of Police, Nigeria Police representative at the Military Command and Control Centre.
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