The Defence Headquarters has said that
it was aware that members of the outlawed Islamist sect, Boko Haram,
were in the habit of looting its armoury.
The military authorities stated that
they were making efforts to secure all armouries in its various
formations across the country.
Director of Defence Information, Maj.
Gen. Chris Olukolade, made the disclosure during his first real-time
Twitter chat which held on Sunday night.
The army general was, however, not
categorical about the grades of weapons just as he did not name the
armouries that have so far been looted by the insurgents.
“We are taking measures to ensure that
our armouries are secured. We agree and are aware Boko Haram has stolen
arms,” Olukolade said while responding to an inquiry by one of the
participants of the Twitter chat.
The Defence spokesman explained that the
military high command frowned on the proliferation of arms, noting that
inter-agency cooperation had recently been heightened to contain the
menace.
According to Olukolade, the policing of
Nigerian borders with other West African neighbours have been
repositioned in view of the security threats posed by the Boko Haram
insurgents.
“Interagency collaboration has been
heightened; from all indications policing of our borders has increased.
Our strategic information-sharing policy considers transparency,
security, propriety and accuracy in reporting to the public,” he added.
Warning that the military would deal
decisively with saboteurs among its officers and men engaged in the
ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the North East, Olukolade said
the service chiefs were “monitoring all personnel both in the frontline
and rear”, adding that “suspicious people are being vetted.”
Dismissing the insinuation that top
military commanders were feeding large on the entitlements of the rank
and file of the armed forces, the military spokesman argued that the
quality of food being provided for the officers and men at the
battlefront are the same.
He claimed that the welfare package for the slain officers and men who die on the battlefield was attractive.
“The food they (officers and men) eat is
within standards and best diet design as practicable. All eat the same
food, be it officers or soldiers.
“By the way, there are two levels of
insurance covering all soldiers and men involved in the anti-terror war.
There is the Personnels’ Service Arm insurance, the Defence
Headquarters Insurance package which is different from the gratuity,
death benefits and children scholarships. On honour for slain soldiers,
we do give due and befitting burials,” Olukolade said.
According to him, since Shekau has been
killed by the military forces, the Armed Forces would remain focused by
maintaining the tempo of “firepower to ensure that we sweep them (Boko
Haram) off their nuisance hotspots.”
Insisting that the Defence Headquarters
would not concede any portion of Nigeria to terrorists, Olukolade said
the surveillance and air operations were ongoing with a view to exerting
control and ensure minimum collateral damage.
Olukolade further said that the Nigerian
Armed Forces were better armed, responsive and service oriented when
placed in comparison with their Cameroonian counterparts.
“We welcome input from allies. It still
remains our duty to get best results for our people. We are exchanging
ideas and intelligence.
“We have a Nigerian-led Multinational Joint Task Force particularly on the Lake Chad Basin area. Cameroon is inactive in this.
“Any campaign to suggest that our Army is weaker than Boko Haram, Cameroon’s or any other force is a campaign against Nigeria.
“There is so much eagerness to discredit us and make us bow psychologically. I am working for my country. No denials.
“They are trying to pitch the soldiers against the leadership. Any military that loses leadership is doomed for the nation.
“Officers are paid to manage soldiers. Civilians can’t control them. Anarchy looms if authority loses grip.”
Olukolade added that there was no time frame to putting an end to the insurgency as terrorism is usually a long fight.
He, thereafter, warned the media against what he described as the undermining of structures.
“This is not the time to prove that the
pen is mightier than the sword. Nigerian media should not undermine
structures. We appeal to foreign and the local press to be circumspect
and be consistent with democracy and public interests.
“We agree that there is such a need to
review its (military) communication mechanism and we have engaged with
various stakeholders to maintain robust counter-terrorist
communications,” he said.
PUNCH
No comments:
Post a Comment