It Will Take Nigeria 30 Years To Defeat Boko Haram – Army

The Nigerian Army says it will take a minimum of 30 years to eradicate the Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram.

 According to Tribune, the Acting Director of Nigerian Army Information Management, Brig-Gen. Folorunso Oyinlola disclosed this in Benin at the 22nd Edition of Social Media Seminar on Civil-Military Relations.

Oyinlola said it will take a new generation of Northeasterners with education and the right orientation for the militancy to be completely wiped out.

The deputy military spokesman said the new generation will have to be educated and re-oriented before Nigeria can truly declare victory against Jihadism and terrorism.

He recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was proactive when he sought to nip the activities of the Nigerian Taliban in the bud during his twilight years but lamented that things degenerated when Alhaji Mohammed Yusuf, the leader of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, was killed by policemen.

Oyinlola said, “Insurgency is not something that can be filtered away with the snap of a finger. The insurgents live with us. We can’t bomb the whole of Edo State under the guise of fighting Boko Haram.

“We’ll need a minimum of 30 years to be able to defeat the Boko Haram. We will need a new generation of Northeasterners who will have to be educated for us to declare that we have defeated Boko Haram.”

He said the civil war in Libya which is yet to be resolved has led to the destabilisation of the West African subregion as lots of weapons have poured in from the North African country, exacerbating the security situation in Nigeria and elsewhere.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya who was represented by Maj-Gen. Marcus Kangye, the head of Civil Military Affairs solicited the support of media practitioners to wipe out the insurgents.

Yahaya appealed to social media influencers to stop using screaming, gory and scary headlines for the sake of national interests and humanity, adding that such headlines have a negative impact on the fight against insurgency by the Nigerian Army.

 

Coup? Army Detains Burkina Faso’s President Kabore

 

President Roch Kabore of Burkina Faso has been detained at a military camp by mutinying soldiers, Reuters reports.

According to a report by the medium, the President’s arrest was confirmed by four security sources and a West African diplomat.

On Sunday evening, there was heavy gunfire around the President’s residence in the country’s capital Ouagadougou.

This was even as soldiers demanded more support for their fight against Islamist militants. However, the government had denied that the army had seized power.

Kabore’s whereabouts or situation were unknown as of Monday morning, with conflicting reports circulating among security and diplomatic sources.

Several armoured vehicles of the presidential fleet, riddled with bullets, could be seen near the president’s residence. One was spattered with blood. Residents of the president’s neighbourhood reported heavy gunfire overnight.

However, there has been no report from government sources.

Frustration has risen in Burkina Faso in recent months due to the frequent killing of civilians and soldiers by militants, some of whom have links to the Islamic State and al Qaeda.

Protesters came out to support the mutineers on Sunday and ransacked the headquarters of Kabore’s political party. The government declared a curfew from 2000 GMT to 0530 GMT until further notice and closed schools for two days.

The turmoil in Burkina Faso comes after successful military coups over the past 18 months in Mali and Guinea, where the army removed President Alpha Conde last September.

The military also took over in Chad last year after President Idriss Deby died on the battlefield there.

Burkina Faso’s army has suffered heavy losses at the hands of Islamist militants, who control swathes of the country and have forced residents in those areas to abide by their harsh version of Islamic law.

The upheaval underscores the political consequences of the growing insurgency across the Sahel region, including Nigeria.

Breaking: Imo Boils Again As Gunmen, Army In Heavy Shooting Over…

Reports coming in say gunmen and the military are  in a heavy shootout at Mgbidi and Akata in Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State.

According to report, the incident began as early as 6 am today when the hoodlums allegedly enforcing the partial lockdown order of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) barricaded the roads, ordering people to go back to their houses.

However, the source said they were later confronted by the military who responded swiftly to counter their order.

As at the time of this report, it is not clear if there was any casualty on both sides.

Nuella's News recalls that IPOB yesterday urged people in the South East to pray fervently for peace in the zone, unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, and restoration of a Biafra nation.

Although a statement by the spokesperson of the group, Emma Powerful, did not order a sit-at-home but urged the people to lockup their shops temporarily during the duration of the prayers and open shortly after.

Details Later

Soldiers Are Taking Hard Drugs To Cope With Bandits, Boko Haram – Nigerian Army

General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division, Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has disclosed that soldiers of the Nigerian Army are taking hard drugs to cope with the protracted Boko Haram insurgency and violent rampage of bandits

The GOC, stated that the army was winning the fight against the proliferation of hard drugs in barracks and theatres.

Mr Lagbaja, represented by the Chief of Staff of the Division, Brig.-Gen. Greg Omoregbe, disclosed this at the inauguration of a three-day capacity-building seminar on evidence-based drug prevention, treatment, and control.

“As you are all aware, military mobilisation, deployment and combat are often associated with severe mental and psychological stress for both the serving personnel and family members,” Mr Lagbaja explained. “Drug abuse has become increasingly recognised as a major coping mechanism, which has contributed to untoward behaviours amongst personnel and family members.”

“The resultant effect of this rising trend is the negative impact on troops’ general health, discipline, unit cohesion, family function, and general unit administration. Drug abuse also contributes, in no small measure, to various degrees of psychological incapacitation among affected individuals,” he added. “Psychological incapacitation among troops and family dysfunction negatively affects fighting capacity and unit operational effectiveness and efficiency.”

The seminar, organised by the division, in collaboration with Bensther Development Foundation, and facilitated by the 82 Division Medical Services and Hospital, was meant for non-medical commanders, principal staff officers, commanding officers, adjutants, administrative officers, and decision-makers.

“The choice of this audience is deliberate because of the pride of place you all occupy in the chain of command in the military as decision-makers,” the general further noted. “You were all deliberately chosen to attend this seminar because the troops and families in the barracks/cantonments look up to you for guidance and direction in their daily lives.”

The GOC charged officers attending the seminar to approach it with all seriousness and share experiences while relating to their troops and barracks and cantonments members so that drug abuse would be totally eliminated in the nearest future.

Mr Lagbaja commended the Bensther Development Foundation for organising the seminar.

Speaking, the foundation’s executive director, Nonso Maduka, said, “Our work is made easier since the army has already adopted the international best practice of treating and caring for its personnel with drug abuse ailment for three months free-of-charge and ensuring that such fellow is fully rehabilitated and re-integrated

All Over The World, The Military Does Not Or Rarely Disclose The Figure Of Its Casualties - Femi Adesina

President Buhari's senior special assistant on media and publicity, Femi Adesina was a guest on Channels TV last night where he addressed a couple of issues including the recent murder of Nigerian soldiers by Boko Haram.

Nollywood Actress Uche Ogbodo Reveals How A "Military" Man Assaulted Her In Public After Bashing Her Car At Lekki Toll Gate

Nollywood actress Uche Ogbodo took to IG today to share photos of injured parts of her body and narrated how she was assaulted by an aggressive man who bashed her car at the Toll gate. This, she claims, was done as people looked on and took photos rather than help.