The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai said on Sunday, April 2, that the army had identified one key location of perpetrators of bombings and had destroyed it.
Buratai said in an interview that the “key area’’ was cleared by troops in conjunction with other security agencies.
According to him, this has reduced the incidents of bombings in the last couple of days in Borno, particularly Maiduguri.
Army chief Buratai says Boko Haram has not been able to attack in the last 3 days because the army has identified one of their key locations
He said: “By and large, I tell you it – bombing has been reduced drastically. In the last three days, there has been no Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) attack or attacks and this, we hope it will continue.
“They may decide to come but we are able to take out one key area that we are even suspecting, our troops were able to clear them in conjunction with other security agencies.
“I won’t say at this stage that we have been able to make breakthroughs in respect of bombing, but we have made substantial progress and we hope it will be sustained,’’ Buratai said.
READ ALSO: The old days of excessive stealing that brought us into recession are over – Presidency
The army chief called for on Borno people to expose the collaborators and indeed, the perpetrators of the dastardly and inhuman act by the Boko Haram terrorists.
He noted that the terrorists still have their sympathisers and collaborators among the people.
“Definitely, there is no way you will say that these bombers, who are teenagers, young girls, some even under-age can move in from wherever they are strapped into the town except with the guidance of someone within the town or vicinity.
“We still suspect that there are some sympathisers and collaborators or some members that have sneaked into town hiding and they direct these would-be bombers to targeted areas.
“The issue of bombing is an issue of intelligence which we are working in collaboration with other security agencies and indeed with the civil authority to see how this can be addressed quickly,’’ he said.
According to Buratai, the bombing must be stopped once and for all.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: Boko Haram releases new video taunt special forces
He added that having won the war, there was the need to also win the peace. He said this required the collaboration of both the military, other security agencies and the people.
NAIJ.com also gathered that there are plans to reorganise the Operation Lafiya Dole in 2017.
Buratai stressed that the reorganisation was now on-going in spite of pockets of attacks and incidents of bombing.
“That position is still being held, the reorganisation is ongoing. We will do it.
“That reorganisation does not, however, mean lowering the tempo of the operations, it does not mean stepping down the various operations we are doing; be it the counter-insurgency operations, all the humanitarian support as the case may be.
“But we are reorganising the theatre command to be effective, to be much stronger because we are getting more equipment and procurement is on-going.
“And we are even raising the tempo of the operation than it was before,’’ Buratai said.
NAN
