Buratai Charges Political Class, Intelligence Community over Boko Haram

Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Tuesday said the war on Boko Haram insurgency was now in the hands of the political class, the intelligence community, Nigeria Police and other civil authorities.

He said the military had played its role well and won the war and successfully degraded the terrorist group.
Speaking during the decoration of newly promoted Major Generals, including Brig. Gen. B.A. Raji, posthumously promoted, who died recently after a brief illness.

Buratai said: “Nigeria Army (NA) has played her role satisfactorily. We have won the ground war and the Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) substantially degraded. We have secured Nigeria’s territorial integrity and equally maintained her sovereignty. We have carried out our tasks proudly and professionally.

“What is remaining now is for other stakeholders – the political class and the intelligence community – to take up the salient aspects of this war to the remaining ill-fated insurgents.

“The NPF must be fully on the ground in all the states in the North East. The civil administration must be fully re-established in all the LGAs. The civil authorities must fight the ideological, social and propaganda wars.”

He added that: “The issues of indoctrination and propaganda by the terrorists must be stopped. These are the surest way to finally defeat the insurgents.”

He said: “The choice of this venue (Maiduguri) for the investiture is predicated on the need to boost the morale of troops in the Theatre and also to celebrate your elevation with the law abiding people of the North-east, who enjoy normalcy today as a result of the fruit of your service.”