5th March, 2015
For some weeks now, the Joint Military Task Force, comprising troops from Nigeria and other neighbouring West African countries has been making headway in its bid to dislodge the Boko Haram terrorists from their various camps in the North-eastern part of the country.
As the troops move to reclaim more towns, it is highly imperative for the Nigerian military to remain focused and sustain the renewed victory over the insurgents even beyond the election periods.
According to the Defence Headquarters, troops last Friday flushed out Boko Haram terrorists from Gulag, Madagali Local Government Area in Adamawa State and Bara in Gulani LGA in neighbouring Yobe State.
Major General Chris Olukolade, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Military, said the fierce fighting that preceded the clearing of towns and other communities resulted in appreciable casualties on the terrorists, the capture of some of them, the recovery and destruction of arms, thousands of assorted rounds ammunition as well as vehicles and other equipment. Other locations also cleared in the course of the two days operation include Shikah, Fikayel, Tetebah, Buza, Kamla and Bumsa.
We salute the courage and the patriotism of these gallant soldiers for the sacrifice made so far. The tempo must be sustained until all the communities under the siege of Boko Haram are liberated.
Beyond ensuring safety of lives and property in the North-eastern states during the elections, it is also important for the military to extend its campaign beyond the elections in order to consolidate on the victory achieved so far.
The military authorities should not relent in boosting the morale of the soldiers by providing the needed resources.
It also germane for it to resist every form of corruption and other forms of indiscipline that sabotaged its initial efforts to curb the insurgency.
The military should resist the temptation to use its recent success over the terrorists to ask for a shift in the nation’s general elections. This will undermine the nation’s fragile democracy and could rock the boat in the long run.
Our troops must stick to the ethics of its profession and avoid any form of politicking that could make it derail from its fundamental objective of protecting the nation’s territorial integrity .