The acting Army Information Officer (IO), Colonel Sani Usman has said that the recent terrorists attacks in some parts of Maiduguri were signs that the insurgents were desperately fighting their last battle. The IO in an exclusive interview with DAILY POST’s Editor, Adoyi Ali assures Nigerians that with the motivation and support the military enjoys at the moment, the December deadline of putting insurgency behind the country is realizable.
Maiduguri was attacked five consecutive times in 24 hours? What is really happening? We need to really be in the know.
We have been talking to the press and we are saying there is no cause for alarm. If you noticed, the police commissioner has been talking to the press. The whole idea is to carry the people along. If for whatever reasons, one of the security agencies will at least talk so we can avoid contradicting ourselves. The whole idea is so we don’t create a lacuna or information that is not reliable.
With the renewed attacks, do you think the insurgents are being suppressed?
Well, if you are talking to me officially I will rather tell you that it is sign of desperation and end times. Agreed, we are losing human lives and properties and nobody is happy about that, but I can tell you that having lost the capacity to launch major attacks in towns and communities like they were doing before, they are now depressed and are fighting to survive. I can also assure you that a lot is being done by the security agents, including the people of the town, and civilians JTF. So definitely, it will not go beyond this, I can assure you.
So one can now say that the December deadline is certain?
We are working towards that. We hope and pray to accomplish the task before then.
What is the situation in Maiduguri now?
Right now, I am out of Maiduguri but we have sources and officers that we have been in constant touch with 247, so if there are other developments, they will definitely let us know. But I can assure you that from my last check, Maiduguri is cool and calm because the recent bomb blasts were not inside Maiduguri city, they were at the outskirts. These people look out for vulnerable and soft targets to attack. We keep telling people to do more in terms of being security conscious and vigilant. You heard the story of the girl who was scavenging around before the bomb detonated. So people should be security conscious and be active. Everything brings challenges and with these challenges, there are renewed awareness and efforts to curtail the efforts of the Boko Haram terrorists. Initially if you recall, you hear cases of bomb blasts like three or four in different places left, right, centre, but now, it is being restricted to a particular area and we are working hard to curb that.
Would you say the improvement on that level is because the Military has been motivated in any way by this current administration?
Naturally, the Military is highly motivated in terms of welfare, equipment as well as provisions of arms and ammunition. Everyday we get that. I can rest assure you that they are in high fighting spirit that they are even anxious to be given tasks so that they can meet their targets and that must have informed also the level of progress we have recorded so far, especially within the last few months.
So what about the Chibok girls? Are there special squads deployed for their rescue?
Let me tell you, the issue of the Chibok school girls that were abducted sometimes back, say a year and some months, is a serious concern not only to the Nigerian people but to every right thinking human being on this earth. So we are conscious of our responsibilities to their parents and to Nigerians and of course to the International community on the rescue and safe return of these girls, and by the grace of God, we have that at the back of our minds; we are going to do so but it is not just about Chibok girls, there are quite a number of other people that are held captive by these terrorists. It is our hope and prayer that we can rescue them from the clutches of these terrorists and re-unite them with their families. We owe this responsibility to everybody and we are conscious of that fact.
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