- Says, “we are taking the fight to our enemies from all angles and we are winning”
- Military has recruited 17,000 to strengthen manpower
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday saluted the gallant men and women of the military and other security agencies for recording “tremendous progress’’ in the ongoing war against Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorits and bandits in Nigeria’s Northern region.
President Buhari also said he has taken deliberate steps to strengthen the manpower of the security agencies, stating that the Armed Forces of Nigeria had recruited over 17,000 personnel across all ranks to support the fight against terrorism and banditry while approval has been given to the Nigeria Police Force to recruit 10,000 personnel annually over the next six years.
Buhari, who spoke in a nationwide broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 61st Independence Anniversary, attributed the successes being recorded by the security agencies to the acquisition of sophisticated weapons by the government.
Already, he said, over 8,000 Boko Haram terrorists in the Northeast region have surrendered.
According to the President, “in the last four months, the gallant men and women of the military and security agencies have made tremendous progress in addressing these new security challenges. We are taking the fight to our enemies from all angles and we are winning.
“Earlier this year, I launched the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, the Deep Blue Project, which is designed to secure Nigerian waters up to the Gulf of Guinea. I am happy to inform Nigerians that we have taken delivery of key assets for this project and very soon, its impact will be felt.
“In the North East region alone, over eight thousand Boko Haram terrorists have surrendered. I am also pleased to note that most of the Air Force platforms we acquired over the past three years have started to arrive in Nigeria. These will positively impact our security operations in all parts of the country.”
