Defence Minister Orders Military to Aggressively Tackle

Defence Minister Orders Military to Aggressively Tackle

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd), yesterday ordered the military to embark on decisive and aggressive onslaught against insurgents in the various theatres of operation.

He said 2021 would be a year of decisive and aggressive action against terrorists.

In line with the resolve, the minister ordered troops at various theatres of operation to embark on a more aggressive kinetic action against the criminal elements threatening national peace and security.

The minister gave the charge when the Chadian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abakar Saleh Chachaimi, visited him in his office in Abuja.

A statement issued last night by the minister’s office said General Magashi told the Chadian Ambassador that “now is the time and year for aggressive and collective resolve by the two countries to stop cross border crimes fueling the activities of Boko Haram and ISWAP.

“It is time for a more decisive and aggressive effort in ending insurgency and terrorism.”

He said through effective synergy, strategy and sincerity of purpose among the four- member nations of the Lake Chad Basin Commission that the asymmetric war against the insurgents could be concluded this year.

The minister appreciated the fact that the Operational Headquarters of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) headed by Major General I. M. Yusuf was in Ndjamena but called on the troops-contributing nations to show more commitment to neutralise the insurgents.

He assured the Chadian Ambassador that President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to empowering the troops to decisively deal with the insurgents and their cohorts.

In his remarks, the Chadian Ambassador, Abakar Saleh Chachaimi, pledged on behalf of the Chadian President, Idriss Deby, the readiness and willingness of his country to cooperate with Nigeria to do the needful to end cross-border trafficking of weapons and to make chad inhabitable for the insurgents.

Ambassador Chachaimi appealed to President Buhari through the Defence minister on behalf of President Deby to open Nigeria-Chad border since the Chadian economic lifeline were dependent on Nigeria.

He assured the minister of his cooperation towards strengthening military bilateral arrangements and agreements with Nigeria.

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