Buratai Urges Swift Conclusion to Counter-Insurgency in Northeast

• Tukur Buratai urges expedited counter-insurgency operations in Lake Chad Basin, warning against prolonged conflicts like in Colombia and Sri Lanka
• Buratai emphasizes coordinated efforts involving military intelligence, DSS, police, and local authorities to effectively address regional security challenges

Former Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (rtd) has called on military authorities to expedite counter-insurgency operations in the Lake Chad Basin Region. Speaking at the 1st International Conference organized by the Department of History and Strategic Studies at the University of Maiduguri, Buratai emphasized the need for a swift end to the conflict.

He praised the military for their sacrifices and efforts against insurgent groups but stressed that the war should not drag on like the prolonged conflicts in Colombia and Sri Lanka.

Buratai underscored the importance of coordinated military operations involving military intelligence, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Police, and local authorities to tackle the security challenges in the region effectively.

“We believe the war should end in a very short time and shouldn’t prolong like those in Colombia and Sri Lanka,” he stated.

The former army chief highlighted his tenure’s success, noting that troops under his leadership reclaimed nine local government areas in Borno within five months.

Prof Aliyu Shugaba, the vice chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, commended the university’s resilience. Despite facing four successive suicide bomber attacks, the university resisted all pressures to shut down and remained operational.