Former Lagos State Commissioner of Police and human rights crusader, CP Abubakar Tsav (rtd), has given the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General TY Buratai and the Nigerian Army a pass mark for their success in recent military operations at the Lake Chad Region.
Our correspondent reports that Nigerian troops in two operations on the 1st and 2nd of May, coordinated artillery bombardments on Timbuktu triangle and destroyed seven Boko Haram Gun Trucks and carried out another artillery engagement in Buk, Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State eliminating 134 number of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists.
The retired police commissioner and elder statesman, in an interaction with newsmen, said the recent decimation of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists by Nigerian troops in the Lake Chad region serves as a sweet reminder that the Nigerian army has not lost the efficiency and professionalism it has been known for over the years.
Tsav in the interview explained that he is full of commendation for the Nigerian troops not because they succeeded in liquidating terrorists but making it further difficult for them to carry out any attack within Nigerian borders.
The retired police commissioner said it is evident that all the operations were executed with clinical military precision and professional efficiency.
This, he said, is obvious from the total avoidance of collateral damages despite attempts by terrorists to hide in civilian populated communities and their ‘cowardly’ use of humans as shields when overwhelmed.
He stressed that the manner the insurgents were taken out can only be achieved if troops are abiding by the highest forms of professional ethics under the right leadership.
Tsav said he noticed there have been differences in the approach and outcome of military operations since the Chief of Army Staff relocated to the Northeast.
“When the Chief of Army staff moved to the theatre of operations, the message he was sending to his troops is that he doesn’t mind putting his life on the line for results to be achieved and that he is expecting no less from the soldiers.
“He is also stressing the seriousness of the operations and the need to impart on troops the highest level of strategy and tactics to win the war but before one could even say ‘go’ the results have started showing. That means not only has he sent the right signals, but the troops have been able to decode the message and act accordingly,” Tsav said.
The retired police commissioner said he was happy with last week’s liquidation of 134 number of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists terrorists recalling that only last month, 105 number of terrorists were liquidated during an encounter at Buni Gari in Gujba Local Government of Yobe State by troops of Sector 2, Operation Lafiya Dole.
Tsav said he is impressed because while the number of terrorists taken out is important, it is also worthy to note that high calibre weapons including five AK-47 Rifles, three GPMG, one Duska Anti Aircraft Gun, one PKT Gun, two handheld radio, several ammunition and ammunition links magazines and assorted hard drugs were also recovered from.
He said this will further weaken the insurgents by depriving their remnants of weapons they have been using to unleash terror on hapless citizens,” he said.
The elder statesman said it is worth noting that it was not quite a month after that succeful operation that the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have again eliminated 134 Boko Haram/Islamic States of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and arrested 16 of their informants.
He said while the insurgents are in disarray and desperate to put up a face, Nigerian troops have been calm and calculated in their operations which has made them to achieve high and excellent results.
Tsav said Gen Buratai and troops of the Nigerian Army have by these victories shamed the prophets of doom who had predicted that Boko Haram insurgency would bring an end to the entity known as Nigeria.
He said what is happening in the field of operation is the complete opposite of what the prophets of doom predicted saying rather than disintegrate, Nigeria is waxing stronger and stronger while citizen confidence on military instutions has been fully restored.
“From the over 20 local government captured by the terrorists and the hoisting of their flags in some, what we have now is that not an inch of the Nigerian territory is under either Boko Haram or ISWAP control. This is kudos to the Chief of Army Staff and the troops'” he stated.
Tsav added that apart from being happy that normalcy is fully returning to the Northeast, Nigerians are beginning to feel proud of their country once again.
He said with the current records of onslaught against the terrorists, no dissent or insurgent group would contemplate taking up arms against the Nigerian state without fearing the consequences.
“I expect the Army Chief to live up to his promise to stay with troops until total victory is attained as his presence is a great morale booster to the officers and men in the field,” he added.
