THISDAY

APC Hails Military Onslaught against Boko Haram

- In Abuja

Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The All Progressiv­es Congress (APC) has hailed the Nigerian military for stepping up the fight against Boko Haram.

The party said the military’s new approach to the battle against the insurgents is yielding positive results.

In a statement issued yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, APC said the rejuvenate­d military is now taking the battle straight to the insurgents, instead of waiting for them to attack.

It described as refreshing and reassuring the fact that service chiefs have been visiting the theatre of the battle in the North-east, not only to pep up the fighting men and women, but also to meet with political and community leaders in the areas.

‘’The stepped-up fight against Boko Haram terrorists has convinced Nigerians that indeed their military is getting its groove back, and can beat the three-month deadline set by President Muhammadu Buhari to defeat the Boko Haram sect.

‘’The renewed battle has also shown that President Buhari was right in directing the relocation of the military’s command and control centre from Abuja to Maiduguri.

‘’Watching the video clip of Nigerian Air Force jets pounding targets in Sambisa forest, which is the fortress of the insurgents, over the weekend arouses great pride in the military,’’ APC said.

The party also lauded the “purposeful leadership and political will” provided by President Buhari, adding that Nigerian neighbours are now ready to contribute their full quota to the battle, with the latest news indicating that Cameroun has decided to triple its initial troops contributi­on to the Multi-National Joint Task Force to reach 2,400 troops.

‘’Also, contrary to the lies being propagated by the naysayers, President Buhari’s visit to the United States has reset Nigeria relations with that country to the level where much needed military hardware are now being sent to Nigeria to increase the country’s military firepower,’’ it said.

APC said while the military must sustain its ongoing efforts to further degrade the fighting ability of the insurgents, “it is important for all Nigerians to continue to support the troops in every way possible so that the monsters who have killed and maimed many innocent people in the past years can be defeated once and for all.

‘’We have always believed that the Nigerian military, which has distinguis­hed itself globally since its first participat­ion in a United Nations peacekeepi­ng mission in the Congo in 1960, has what it takes not only to protect and defend Nigeria’s territoria­l integrity but also to win even an asymmetric­al warfare like the one against Boko Haram under the right circumstan­ces. We are glad that the military is now proving us right.’’

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