Insurgency War to End Soon, Says Defence Minister

Insurgency War to End Soon, Says Defence Minister

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd), thursday gave assurance that the war against insurgency would soon come to an end.

He said normalcy had returned to the North-east following government’s determination to bring the war to a conclusion.

This is coming as the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, said President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the military to take adequate care of personnel deployed in the North-east.

Speaking while commissioning a block of flats for Air Force personnel at the Nigerian Air Force Base, Abuja, the defence minister said the war against insurgency would soon become history.

“May I use this medium to assure Nigerians that the fight against insurgency in the North-east will soon become history as normalcy has since been returned to almost all parts of the North-east and the peace and tranquillity hitherto enjoyed restored.

“My ministry will consolidate on this laudable gesture by supporting the Nigerian Air Force in carrying out its operations especially in the fight against terrorism and insurgency”, he said.

He said the ministry would support the Air Force in ensuring that all welfare challenges are given the right priority and speedily addressed.

Magashi said the bold effort by President Buhari in addressing the welfare challenges of the Armed Forces “is highly appreciated, as it is part of the fulfilment of Mr President’s promise to ensure personnel and their families are well taken care of”.

In his remarks, Air Marshal Abubakar said President Buhari had given the military directives to prioritise the welfare of personnel deployed in the North-east.

He said the president had “emphasised the need for us to take care of airmen and airwomen deployed in the North-east.

“As far as welfare is concerned, to those who are fighting in the North-east, we are doing everything humanly possible to be ensure that we take care of their requirements for them to not only have the enabling environment to operate but also for their families at home”, he said.

The Air Force chief said NAF had commissioned many projects in the last six months.

“This is clearly sending the right signal to officers, airmen and airwomen that the system is interested in them and the welfare of their families”, he said.

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