…Sect has killed 3,000 –Army chief

Insideafrik
NEWS, NIGERIA
From Layi Olanrewaju

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Azubuike Ihejirika yesterday put the number of people so far killed by the Boko Haram at 3,000. He lamented that the activities of the sect had adversely taken economic and psychological tolls on the people and business in the northern part of the country.

The chief of army staff spoke yesterday in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital while declaring open the third inter-division and headquarters map reading competition organized by the Nigerian Army Education Corps (NAEC). General Ihejirika who was represented by the General Officer, Commanding 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major Mohammed Abubakar added that the current security challenges in the country required collective and extra efforts to tackle.

His words: “The changing nature of threats to Nigeria’s national security environment has manifested in the militancy, kidnapping, violent extremism and terrorism. It is a known fact that terrorism worldwide is characterized by extremism, violence, hatred, lack of respect for human dignity and constituted authority.

“The spate of bombings in parts of the North has necessitated the Nigerian Army to review its doctrine, with a view to updating our training and operational procedures to fulfill our constitutional mandate. Success in this pursuit, therefore calls for renewed and concerted efforts and initiative.

“I therefore urge all of us to remain resilient to be able to overcome the miscreants and terrorist attacks on our psyche and our beloved country through conscientious effort for the country to make good progress. It is in this line, that I commend the determination of NAEC to write and publish a book on ‘terrorism.’ “This will no doubt positively contribute to our determination to fight the present security challenges.

The book will also serve as a reference material for researchers on Nigerian Army viewpoint and strategy against domestic terrorism.” Earlier, the Corps Commander, NAEC, Major-General Lucky Banjiram said the current security challenges in the country had continued to undermine national security. He added that the challenges had thereby placed strains and demands on the Nigerian Army’s resources. He said: “It becomes necessary therefore to re-emphasise the need for training and retraining of army personnel. The competition is NAEC’s effort towards the training of its personnel and the creation of a pool of instructors in map reading for the Nigerian Army”