- Trust military to do the right thing about surrendering Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists, CDS pleads with Nigerians
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, on Tuesday described the attack on Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna officers’ residential quarters “as more of criminal activities associated with the normal banditry action.”
The CDS also noted that “the military had already taken on the matter.”
The Defence Chief also pleaded with Nigerians to discard their fears and apprehension over the mass surrendering of Boko Haram/Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists.
In the same vein, General Irabor reassured residents and Nigerians to trust the relevant agencies that had been tasked with responsibilities of planning the rehabilitation of repented insurgents.
General Irabor, according to a statement by Director, Defence Information, Major General Benjamin Sawyerr, allayed the fears by the public on the ongoing mass surrendering of Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) former fighters to the military.
Irabor, who spoke during the interactive session with retired senior military officers in the North East geo-political zone on Tuesday in Yola, Adamawa State capital, said the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) will deal with the matter for the good of the region, as there will be no loose ends.
The CDS commended the citizens of the Northeastern part of the country for their genuine support for the military in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the zone.
He, however, urged the people to continue to give more cooperation to the troops, adding that the solutions to the security challenges in the region lay in citizen’s commitment.
Irabor urged the military veterans to take full advantage of the security parley in evaluating the various military operations.
He also said that the citizen’s patriotic and constructive assessment of the general security situation would add value to the ongoing military offensive clearance operations.
The Chief of Defence Civil Military Cooperation, Rear Admral Fredrick Ogu, explained that the one day security parley included the Chief of Defence Intelligence brief on the general security situation in the North East.
Ogu urged the veterans in the army to make useful contributions towards securing the North East zone and the country at large.
Earlier, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 3 Division Nigerian Army (NA), Major General Ismaila Ali, commended the Defence Headquarters for the laudable initiative of tapping from the wealth of experience of the retired senior officers.
Ali, who was represented by the Commander 23 Brigade Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Aminu Garba, said the interface with the veterans was tailored to finding workable ideas in surmounting the contemporary security challenges.