B/Haram war over in Lake Chad – Buratai

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai has declared that the war against Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad Region and northern Borno is over as troops are now mainly engaged in stabilizing security in the areas recaptured from the insurgents around the region.

The COAS said in Monguno yesterday that there were no more serious security challenges to nation’s territorial integrity in that region.

He made the declaration while addressing troops of 8 Task Force Division of the Nigerian Army, Monguno, assuring that the days of Boko Haram insurgency were numbered, despite their occasional attacks on soft targets in the Northeast.

“This Division (8 Div, Monguno) has lived up to its expectation of containing the Boko Haram challenges in this part of the country,” he said, appreciating also the Nigerian Air Force, which he said had been giving aerial support.

“The establishment of this Division was a major strategic one. It has helped in addressing the challenges of Boko Haram terrorists in the Northern part of Borno State. We must remain here to stabilize it,” he said.

He assured that with the troops’ efforts, the officers and soldiers of Joint Military Task Force would finally overcome the Boko Haram challenge.

What remained, he said, was for troops to continue to stabilize, operate and prevent any trouble by any element in the region. He said with the defeat of Boko Haram in northern Borno, troops of 8 Task Force would be relocated and deployed to Sokoto State in the Northwest.