DEFENCE HEADQUARTERS PROMISES TO ANNIHILATE TERRORISM

 WE WILL NOT REST UNTIL VICTORY IS ASSURED- MILITARY ASSURES NIGERIANS

Exuding a great deal of confidence and satisfaction from the series of significant victories evidenced in the recent wave of successes against Boko Haram terrorists, Nigeria's Defense Headquarters today promised not to relent until every part of the country is finally rid of terrorism.

Speaking at a press briefing with media men, the Director of Defence Information at  the Ministry of Defence, Major-General Chris Olukolade,  stated that the fight was not over and that the Nigerian military would therefore not relent. He promised that nothing would be taken for granted.

According to the General, the highly-coordinated air campaign of the Nigerian Airforce and the mammoth-scale ground assault of the Nigerian Army, backed by its local allies in form of the invigorated MNJTF (Multi-National Joint Task Force) with troops from Cameroon, Chad and Niger, have decimated, and continue to decimate all known and suspected terrorist locations, to great effect.

In his words, " the air campaigns are continuing with a view to dislodging all the identified terrorist cells, enclaves or hideouts anywhere in the designated mission area. The mandate of working towards ensuring the restoration of normalcy for socio-economic, political and other activities to resume as quickly as possible is being given all it takes toward having the mission accomplished".

The Defense spokesman equally hinted that troops morale was at unprecedented highs owing to the recent surprise visit of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces of Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan to Baga to see his troops.

Thereafter, he acknowleged the outstanding support and solidarity shown by Nigerians towards the Nigerian Army, and Armed forces in general, through gestures of goodwill and understanding in the past weeks as seen in various public activities in support of troops in the North-East.

While commending Nigerians across every stratum for the recent show of solidarity including staging rallies in support of the military, General Olukolade however, warned the media to be especially weary of cynics and saboteurs who are generally unhappy that the war against terror was being won.

According to him, while this support and show of love is being savored, the attitude and activities of segments of the society who are still hell bent on undermining the morale of our fighting force by deliberately playing down the operational successes so far achieved, remains very unfortunate indeed.  In a bid to spitefully drown the efforts of our troops, this group of people have been mischievously and exaggeratingly reporting the supportive roles of foreign allies to the detriment of our operational success in the fight against terror.  They go to every extent to ridicule, taunt or project every falsehood, purely to score some points in the clandestine sympathy for the terrorists. This unpatriotic posture is directly or indirectly undermining the esteemed status of Nigeria in the comity of nations.

He then urged Nigerians to “at all-times remain vigilant and conscious of our environment and be on the lookout for unrepentant terrorists, their collaborators or sympathizers who will stop at nothing in their resolve to destroy our country and civilization.”

"The need has therefore arisen for a call on the media to beware of the mischief and conspiracy by some theorists who are still bent on orchestrating a well-rehearsed smear campaign against the Nigerian military.  They have been struggling to attribute the recent defeats inflicted on the terrorists to the invincibility of other forces or military outfits other than Nigeria’s"

He explained that the current turn of the tide against the terrorists was an initiative conceived and being driven by the Nigerian military but enjoying the backing of the reinvigorated Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

In his words, "The continuous aerial bombardment of identified terrorists’ cells and hideouts by the Nigerian Air Force and subsequent ground offensive by the Nigerian troops pursuing the dislodged terrorists is proving worthwhile.  Our partners are entrusted with employing the instrumentality of the Multi-National Joint Task Force to contain any terrorists who heads towards our borders with neighboring countries and preventing the formation of any new safe haven elsewhere"

"The forces have been working very hard in consonance with the terms and spirit of the Memorandum of Understanding that preceded this operation.  They are effectively checkmating trans-border activities of the terrorists.  There have been instances where these provisions for the operation of the MNJTF has afforded our partners the latitude required to pursue or beat back a retreating band of terrorists into Nigerian territory as was the case in Gamboru and other locations not far from the border".

Unfortunately, some interest groups who seek to misinterpret this fruitful collaboration are seeking to drive a wedge between the Nigerian military and her supporting military formations or contingent by deliberately trying to denigrate and ridicule the effort of the Nigerian forces.

If other militaries that have just joined the war against the terrorists would be described in some warped reports as “battle-hardened”, how would any sensible commentator or reporter describe the gallant Nigerian forces that have been battling these mercenary-ridden terrorists for over five years now say?

The antics of some foreign media and their local collaborators who will stop at nothing to bring the Nigerian military to disrepute are no longer new or unusual. The Nigerian military will not be distracted or detracted from the current momentum which is geared towards stamping out terrorism not only in Nigeria but in the entire sub-region.

It is of necessity therefore to reiterate that much as we value and appreciate the ongoing collaborative effort of the troop contributing nations of the Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), there has been no compromise of any aspect of Nigeria’s sovereignty or soil to any foreign force. This counter terrorist operation is comprehensively driven by Nigerian forces. Other members of the MNJTF have so far successfully denied the common enemy freedom of trans-border operations and this is in consonance with the idea of the multinational coalition initiated as far back as 1998.

Be that as it may, we are conscious that the fight is not over and the Nigerian military will therefore 
not relent. Nothing will be taken for granted. All Nigerians are equally enjoined to maintain this posture. We must at all-times remain vigilant and conscious of our environment and be on the lookout for unrepentant terrorists, their collaborators or sympathizers who will stop at nothing in their resolve to destroy our country and civilization.

 He then reiterated that that whereas Defense Headquarters values and appreciates the ongoing collaborative effort of the troop contributing nations of the Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), “there has been no compromise of any aspect of Nigeria’s sovereignty or soil to any foreign force.


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