Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, on Tuesday explained that the resurgence of Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the North East region, particularly in Borno State, is part of the terrorists’ renewed push to destabilise the Sahel nations of Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic.
The Defence Minister however said that the Federal Government is dealing with the challenge, adding that the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) had gained momentum in recent weeks, eliminating a good number of the terrorists.
According to Badaru: “If you are following what is happening in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, you will see that these attacks have heightened everywhere.
“There is a renewed vigour by the insurgents to destabilise the Sahel, we are doing a lot to curtail them, and we will fight it, and normalcy will return by the special grace of God and your prayers.
“If you will do justice to us, in the past one or two weeks, you will see that the armed forces are gaining momentum and attacking and eliminating them.”
The Minister who spoke to journalists after his two-day working visit to military institutions including the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in Kaduna State, highlighted the importance of both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.
Badaru noted that while kinetic measures involve military operations, non-kinetic initiatives focus on appeasing communities and addressing underlying issues.
The Minister noted: “In the North West, we have bandits, and we are dealing with them.
“In Benue, it’s majorly communal clashes, farmer-herder clashes. We are dealing with that, and on that, you need more of the non-kinetic approach to appease the people and to let them know that they cannot continue attacking each other.”
He expressed satisfaction with the progress made by the NDA, AFIT and other military institutions in the area of research and development, which he believed would soon make the country self-sufficient in military equipment.
“The institutions are doing a very good job and they are also carrying out the instructions of Mr President in deep research so that we will eventually be self-sufficient in our military requirements, including the platforms and the equipment we need to execute the military functions.
“I believe they are doing very well in research, we have seen the innovations that they are doing, ranging from MWRAPS, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and other equipment that are needed by the armed forces,” he added.
He noted that the production of military hardware locally meant the country was moving from import to self-reliance.
He commended the NDA for its efforts in training cadets and producing highly committed officers.
The Commandant of the NDA, Major General Abdul-Khalifa Ibrahim, thanked the Federal Government for providing necessary resources and upgrading the academy’s infrastructure.