Military Moves to Flush Out Insurgents, Bandits in North-east

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

As part of measures to sustain the heat on fleeing insurgents, the Nigerian Army has vowed to flush out insurgents hibernating in forests and parks in the North-east and North-western parts of the country.

In this wise, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has ordered troops to be ruthless with insurgents and show no mercy, saying the time to end the activities of Boko Haram and Islamic State for West Africa Province (ISWAP), has come.

This was coming as the Conservator-General of the National Park Service, Alhaji Ibrahim Goni, called for support from governors where national parks are located to assist in protecting those parks so that they would not turn to places of abode for criminal elements.

He said out of 228,000 Square kilometers of dense vegetation and forests containing seven parks and 300 forest reserves, only 100 square kilometers are protected.

Terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP have used sprawling forests and parks notably Sambisa Forest located in Borno State, cutting across Yobe and Adamawa states as hideouts and launching pads for attacks on troop locations in their 10-year insurgency campaign.

Armed bandits have also used Rugu Forest and other forests spanning Kastina, Zamfara and Kebbi states and some parts of Niger Republic for the same purpose, wrecking havoc and leaving trails of blood.

In a bid to contain security threats posed by the use of the forests by insurgents and bandits, the Nigerian Army has commenced training of national park rangers attached to the National Park Service with a view to flushing out criminal elements in parks and forests.

Speaking in Yobe, Buratai urged troops to be ruthless and show no mercy to fighters of Boko Hrama and ISWAP, declaring that the time to end the activities of the terrorist organisations has come.

Buratai, who spoke through the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Olusegun Adeniyi, urged soldiers to end the war by adopting a ruthless disposition devoid of mercy.

While addressing troops of the Operation Lafiya Dole, Sector 2 Command, Damaturu, Yobe State, Buratai said: “There is no better time than now to do it. This is the time to allow our country rest from the menace of Boko Haram.

“You should be ruthless with Boko Haram and anybody supporting Boko Haram. You should show no pity let there be no excuses.”

Buratai, who was represented by Chief of Standards and Evaluation, Major General Okwudili Azinta, at a collaborative seminar, donated two Hilux vehicles to assist park rangers patrol the forests and reserves.

In his remarks, the Conservator-General called on state governors where national parks are located to assist the park service in funding forest patrols, charging other security agencies notably the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigeria Police and other security agencies and para-military organisations to follow suit.

“The donation of vehicles is a demonstration of the able leadership of Nigerian Army under Lt. Gen. Buratai to partner with the National Park Service to tackle the security challenges associated with the parks in Nigeria. Vehicles will be used to enhance the capacity of park rangers and to improve the level of security in the countryside.

“The synergy will be taken to a higher level by promoting the communiqué issued at the end of our collaborative seminar,” he said.

Goni added that state governors join hands with service to make these forests and parks secured for tourism to thrive in this country, noting that the Chief of Army Staff was concerned about the porous security arrangements and he has taken practical steps in addressing these challenges.

Buratai had at an event last year said Sambisa and Alargano Forests would be turned to training ground for use of small arms, saying Sambisa Forest would host an army small arms championship this year. He added that it would be used to test fighting vehicles and key equipment and weapons that require testing during induction of new weapon and equipment.