BOSSTYCOONZ
Army Uncovers Boko Haram’s New Tactics
November 30, 2013
The Chief of Army Staff Lt General Azubike Ihejirika, has advised
Nigerians not to panic over speculation of the spread of terrorists into
other regions of the country, assuring that security operatives are on
top of the situation, with security moves in top gear to monitor
terrorists movements.
Speaking in Lagos while commissioning the remodeled headquarters of
the Nigerian Army Engineers Complex, at Bonny cantonment, Victoria
Island, Ihejirika noted that attempt by some insurgents to spread from
the North eastern region of the country to other regions have met
brick-wall following their subsequent arrests, adding that the Nigerian
Army would continue to do its best in providing equipment and logistics
to enable troops carry out their duties.
“The spread should not cause panic. We monitor their movement and the
exposure on them is beefed up in the North East in particular and in
other parts of the North and the tendency is not for them to fret down
wards,” Ihejirika said.
“What we are trying to do is to build new cells in the new areas particularly for those of them that are unrepentant.
“We have a common understanding with the SSS ,the police and other
sister services to continue to monitor them and they are being
arrested”.
Commending the Nigerian Army Corps of Engineers for giving its
headquarters a structural face lift, Ihejirika noted that the initiative
and courage to undertake such project was in line with his vision to
transform the Nigerian Army into a force that would meet the demands of
the present challenges as well as remain relevant in national
development.
According to him, this giant strides entailed a lot of sacrifice,
integrity and on the part of the commander and his officers and
soldiers. It is a proof that the transformation agenda of the president,
commander-in-chief of Armed Forces, Dr Goodluck Jonathan is being
imbibed by some commanders in the Nigeria Army.”
He therefore,urged other commanders to emulate such,even as he
encouraged the Commander, officers and soldiers of the Corps to strive
more to improve upon the standards attained, noting that any
organisation that is not growing is dying. here is still room for
improvement particularly in support for the Nigeria Army operations in
the North East where we have made progress the Army Headquarters in the
face of limited resources and other competing needs.
Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Ibrahim Attahiru
also alerted Nigerians that Boko Haram terrorists have come out with
new tactics to circumvent security measures put in place towards
curtailing their activities in the North East.
The new methods according to General Attahiru include resorting to
attacks on soft targets and erecting snap road blocks on major highways
in the north east.
He however stressed that the Army has been responding swiftly through effective combat patrols both on air and land.
General Attahiru said: “While the onslaught on the violence extremist
organisation continues, the insurgents have devised methods to
circumvent the new security measures by resorting to attacks on soft
targets and erecting snap road blocks on major highways in the north
east” he said.
“Equally, our troops have responded appropriately through effective
combat patrols both on land and air in order to dominate the area of
operations,” he stated.
Describing the United States’ designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as
Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTO) as a step in the right direction,
he noted that the Nigerian Army has continued to carry out “full
spectrum counter-insurgency operations, with emphasis on both kinetic
and non-kinetic operations to shape the operational environment in the
north east”.
“Currently, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in conjunction with the
Nigerian Air force had carried out simultaneous offensive operations.
Based on these operations, insurgents were successfully cleared from
some camps in Sambisa Forest, Bita Village in Damboa Local Government as
well as Gujba in neighbouring Yobe State. Many insurgents were killed
and large cache of arms and ammunition were also recovered,” the Army
spokesman said.