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PRESS RELEASE

CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF HOLDS DUBAR WITH TROOPS, Commends Them For the Sacrifices & Urge Them to be More Robust In the Fight to End Terrorism In Nigeria

In line with the extant Military Traditions, Customs and Ethics, Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai has held a dubar with troops of Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE at the Command and Control Center in Maiduguri, Borno State on 26 June 2019.

A total of 300 troops drawn from the various Units and Formations across the Theatre Command attended the occasion, where, as a rare privilege, troops freely interacted one-on-one with the Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen TY Buratai.

At the event, without any restriction, troops were allowed to sincerely bare their minds on issues bothering them either as a group or individually, especially on professional matters like administration, welfare, logistics and general operational situation including progress and challenges.

In his remarks, Lt Gen TY Buratai commended the troops for their gallantry and sacrifices and enjoined them to be more robust and unyielding in the fight to end terrorism in the North East Nigeria. He requested them to open up to him in case of any problem or issue that he needs to know and address. He conveyed the appreciation of Mr President, Commander in Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari for their commitment, sacrifices and loyalty to the nation.

Instructively, the Chief of Army Staff used the opportunity to remind the troops of the expectationns of Nigerians as to their ability to keep the country safe, which as an Army, - we must be able to meet or surpass.

Few of the major highlights of the durbar session include the need for more patriotism, professionalism as well as the need to reappraise, reorganize and re-strategize to boost the operation and defeat the insurgency/terrorism.

Additionally, the need for troops to be mindful of fake news and terrorists' propaganda was also highlighted during the durbar.

The climax of the occasion was that the troops had dinner with the Chief of Army Staff. They were elated, visibly happy and poured praises to the Chief of Army Staff for the opportunity, and most importantly for his untiring support in providing the required leadership, logistics and equipment to effectively prosecute the war.

Issues that were discussed at the occasion will be disseminated to the rest of the troops in the frontline by the 300 representatives that attended.

SAGIR MUSA
Colonel
Acting Director Army Public Relations
27 June 2019

More.....

PRESS RELEASE

NIGERIAN ARMY DAY CELEBRATION / COMBAT SUPPORT ARMS TRAINING WEEK 2019

1. The Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) and Combat Support Arms Training Week will hold from Friday 28th June to Saturday 6th July 2019 in Lagos State with the theme “Professionally Responsive Soldiering: A Panacea for successful Military Operations’’.

2[b]. Activities to mark the event will kick off on 28th June 2019 with a press conference by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai at the Headquarters, Theatre Command, Command and Control Centre in Maiduguri, Borno State[/b]. Other activities lined up for the celebration include environmental sanitation exercise to be conducted on Saturday 29th June 2019 in some designated areas within 81 Division Area of Responsibility as well as in all units and formations across Nigeria.

3. Accordingly, interdenominational Church Service at St Charles Lwanga Catholic Church, Ikeja Cantonment and all units and formations Catholic and Protestant Churches in all Nigerian Army Barracks on 30th June 2019 and Juma’at Service on Friday 5th July 2019 in all the Mosques across the Nigerian Army formations and units.

4. Similarly, there will be an interesting novelty football match between the COAS team and Actors Guild of Nigeria team on Thursday 4th July 2019. While free medical outreaches in some selected communities in 81 Division Area of Responsibility and other Nigerian Army formations and units will be conducted on 3 July 2019.

5. The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, will be the Special Guest of Honour during the grand finale slated for Saturday 6th July 2019 which will feature parade/march past in Ikeja Military Cantonment, COAS Commendation Award Ceremony, Exhibition of Infantry Light Armoured Vehicles and dance display by various selected Nigerian cultural troupes, among other activities.


SAGIR MUSA Colonel
Acting Director Army Public Relations
27 July 2019

bidexiii:




Our gallant troops kick BHT ass again.
Goniri village, was attacked yesterday evening by Boko Haram, our gallant Soldiers repelled the attack and neutralized some of them. Captured 5x guntrucks , arms and ammunition. KUDOS TO OUR TROOPS.

Are we using tank rounds against technicals? or maybe its the 90mm Panhard ERC?

bidexiii:




recoilless rifle

more like a decrepid MANPAD.

lionel4power:
more like a decrepid MANPAD.

It's a recoilless riffle... just take your time to look at it well.

bidexiii:



They're not battling terrorism on a large scale like Nigeria, Chad and Egypt in North Africa. You see most of these weapon cache are discovered along border line territories. These terrorist hide there weapon cache in small cells where they can come pick it up anytime they need them. The way terrorist operates in the north Africa is defferent from West and central African countries.
They operate in small unit and hit there target and blend in back to the society unlike here where they operate in large numbers or groups.

thanks bro

NIGERIAN AFSF AT THE ANNUAL WARRIOR COMPETITION- AMMAN, JORDAN

PRESS RELEASE

TERRORISTS IN DISARRAY AS TROOPS POUNCE ON THEIR CAMPS, Extirpate some & Rescue Women And Children In The Process

Following reinvigorated operational strategies and robust, aggressive and dynamic counter terrorism operations injected into the Theatre Command, Operation LAFIYA DOLE by the Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen TY Buratai, troops have continued to successfully sustain aggressive long range mobile fighting patrols, raids, searches and ambushes which resulted in the recent successes recorded.

Recall the devastating ambush of terrorists yesterday at Goniri Yobe State by the indefatigable and patriotic troops, as well as the resultant recovery of 5 gun trucks and 1 VBL among others.

Today, the 26 of June 2019, as part of the ongoing Operation HALAKA DODO under 7 Division purview, soldiers of 152 Task Force Battalion, under 21 Special Armoured Brigade, in conjunction with some Civilian Joint Task Force members, embarked on intensive patrols and clearance operations to Nbaga and Gero villages where troops came in contact with the terrorists at Ngaba village.

The sudden attack of terrorists' camps, simultaneous and swift employment of voluminous coordinated fire power bombardments led to serious destruction of the terrorists' camps , which forced the criminals to flee their hideouts in disarray, while an unconfirmed number of the bandits were effectively extirpated.

Accordingly, 8 women and 6 children were extricated and freed from the terrorists, while their (terrorists) makeshift camps were totally destroyed. The following items were captured:
a. 3 x Ak 47 rifles
b. 5 bicycles and
c 1 x terrorists' flag

The liberated women and children will be handed over to the appropriate agency for further necessary action.

Similarly, on Wednesday 26 June 2019, troops of 26 Task Force Brigade located in Gwoza while on clearance operation from Southern Borno axis to Agapalwa village and surrounding localities, came in contact with some terrorists which led to an exchange of fire that caused the decimation of one terrorist and the destruction of some terrorists' camps.

SAGIR MUSA
Colonel
Acting Director Army Public Relations

More...

Borno governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum being welcomed by hunters in full gear as he storms Damboa local government for an operational tour along with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai today, June 27, 19.

Professor Babagana Umara mni the @GovBorno with Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai planning on how the Maiduguri - Damboa Federal Highway will be finally re-opened to enable travellers ply the road without any hindrance.

Libya- ICYMI, weapons left behind by LNA and seized by GNA when they captured Garyan, including an M79 Osa, some MGs, a Russian ATGM (9M133 Kornet/AT-14 Spriggan?), and oh yeah, at least 4 FGM-148 Javelin.

Libya- foreign actors have long been supplying arms (including advanced) despite the embargo. But these were usually their local products. Now it's a US platform, which is a game changer.

Reminder- a Pantsir S-1/SA-22 Greyhound was just also introduced.

Libya- clearer pictures allegedly showing the FGM-148 Javelin launchers that were picked up by GNA in Garyan after the LNA's retreat.

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT: NAF GRADUATES 307 PROFESSIONAL NON-TECHNICAL GROUND PERSONNEL FROM VARIOUS COURSES AT MTC KADUNA

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), under the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, has continued to build capacity in all areas of critical competencies to raise a highly professional and disciplined force through capacity building initiatives for the effective, efficient and timely employment of air power in response to Nigeria’s national security imperatives. In furtherance of this, the Service has graduated 307 professional non-technical ground personnel from sundry courses at the Military Training Centre (MTC) Kaduna today, 28 June 2019. The courses cover areas such as Personnel and Administration Management, Air Police Special Investigation and Intelligence training, Physical Education, Music as well as Clerical training, which are part of career progression trainings to build adequate capacity for excellent service delivery.

Speaking at the occasion, the Guest of Honour (GOH), Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Kingsley Lar, the Chief of Administration (COA) Headquarters NAF, reminded the graduands that the occasion marks the beginning of a new vista in their careers and implored them to apply the knowledge and skills they had acquired during the various courses to improve their chosen specialty in the NAF. “I implore you to remain focused as you strive to fully develop your potentials in our collective drive to move the Service forward”, he said. He further disclosed that the NAF expects the highest level of proficiency from them in the discharge of their duties. AVM Lar charged the graduating students to maintain the already established standards in terms of loyalty, discipline and performance, as they return to their respective units, having been re-galvanized and better equipped to face future challenges. The GOH thanked the CAS for his visionary leadership stating that his immense support and direction has impacted positively on the development of manpower in the NAF, which had greatly contributed to the successes recorded in the fight against insurgency in the Northeast as well as other forms of criminality in other parts of the country.

Earlier in his opening address, the Commandant MTC, Air Commodore Jubrin Usman, disclosed that the Centre runs 2 categories of sundry courses, which are the basic and upgrading/specialist courses. He explained that the basic courses are aimed at equipping non-technical ground specialists with skills and requisite knowledge to perform creditably in their assigned NAF specialties, while the upgrading courses are meant to provide advanced skills and in-depth knowledge to enable personnel function effectively in higher responsibilities. While thanking the CAS for his strategic guidance and support for the rapid development of infrastructure, the Commandant pledged the commitment of the Centre to maintain the quality of training to meet NAF’s aspirations.

One of the highlights of the course was the presentation of awards to students who distinguished themselves on the various courses. The Air Officers Commanding Ground Training Command and Air Training Command, Commandants and Commanders of co-located NAF Units as well as families and friends of the graduating students graced the occasion.

IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force

More..

#NAF

Important: Negotiations with several countries, including Egypt, to purchase JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, on the sidelines of ParisAirShow

The EAF is considering buying three squadrons of JF-17 directly from China and then producing the rest locally.


God I so much respect and envy the Egyptian military and defence procurement procedure, This what we should be emulating. Had it been we purchased directly from the Chinese, BHT would have been feeling the heat of these birds by now.

https://mil.sina.cn/sd/2019-06-21/detail-ihytcerk8415299.d.html?from=wap

bidexiii:
Important: Negotiations with several countries, including Egypt, to purchase JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, on the sidelines of ParisAirShow

The EAF is considering buying three squadrons of JF-17 directly from China and then producing the rest locally.


God I so much respect and envy the Egyptian military and defence procurement procedure, This what we should be emulating. Had it been we purchased directly from the Chinese, BHT would have been feeling the heat of these birds by now.

https://mil.sina.cn/sd/2019-06-21/detail-ihytcerk8415299.d.html?from=wap

the rate at which Egypt is buying jets and helicopters is something else....US is sell 10 Apaches, France sells Raphael jets, Egypt may acquire SU-30 jets from Russia now it's the jf17 nawa oooo.....I wish Nigeria has dat mind set

As at January 2019. Update underway.

frumentius:
As at January 2019. Update underway.

I like this chat.....
Very informative.

PRESS RELEASE
TROOPS ARREST 25 BANDITS, RECOVER CACHE OF ARMS & AMMUNITION

Following reinvigorated operational strategies and robust anti banditry operations injected in to the activities of Operation HARBIN KUNAMA III, troops have in a renewed efforts arrested several gangs of bandits terrorizing Isa, Rabbah and Burkusuma communities around Sububu Forest in Sokoto State as well as in Batsari, Safana and Kankara in Dumburum Forest of Katsina state.

Similarly, troops deployed in Super Camp covering Bena, Jega, Danko and Wasagu encountered and annihilated uncomfirmed number of bandits and destroyed five( 5) bandits' camps in Gando Forest of Kebbi State.

Briefing journalists on the activities of the operation, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 8 Division, Maj Gen Hakeem Otiki on the 26 June 2019 stated that five camps and 25 motorcycles were destroyed during the operation.

He added that the operation which covers Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States witnessed series of successful simultaneous ground operations activities involving raids, ambushes, cordon and search with the occasional support of the Air Task Force component which the troops are poised to sustain.

The GOC further stated that items recovered during the operation include:
a. 8 x AK 47 rifles
b. 2 x General Purpose Machine Guns
c. 2 x G3 rifles
d. 3 x dane guns.
e. 9 x AK 47 magazine
f. 48 x rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.

According to him, "The operation is to facilitate the return of refugees and internally displaced persons back to their homes, creating enabling environment for economic activities to strive and instilled confidence in the locals to remain in their villages and continue their normal lives unmolested.

He assured the residents of the Nigerian Army readiness to provide adequate security and improve synergy and collaboration with other security agencies within 8 Division Area of Responsibility with the aim of Combating banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping and other security challenges.

He used the opportunity to commend the gallant officers and soldiers of the Division for their resilience and patriotism in the ongoing operation even as he commends members of various vigilante groups and local hunters for their supportive roles to troops.

He appealed to residents of the areas to always provide useful and timely information to the security agencies for prompt action.

SAGIR MUSA
Colonel
Acting Director Army Public Relations
29 June 2019

More...

OPERATION GREEN SWEEP 2: NAF FIGHTER JETS DESTROY HIDEOUTS, NEUTRALIZE TERRORISTS AT GOBARA, BAKASSI IN BORNO STATE

In continuation of Operation GREEN SWEEP 2, the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has destroyed terrorists’ hideouts and killed some fighters at Gobara and Bakassi, Borno State in separate air raids conducted yesterday, 28 June 2019. The settlements are 2 of the targets selected for attack in the intensive air interdiction operations launched by the ATF on Wednesday, 26 June 2019.

The attack on Gobara, a settlement in the Sambisa Forest area, was carried out by 2 Alpha Jets after Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions had identified a segment of the settlement being used by Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) fighters to store their logistics and other equipment. The jets scored accurate hits in the target area, leading to the destruction of some of the structures and equipment as well as the killing of several terrorists.

In a similar vein, another active camp belonging to Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) elements located at Bakassi on the fringes of Lake Chad in Northern Borno, was successfully attacked and several terrorists killed in air strikes carried out later in the day. Overhead the target area, the NAF ISR platform observed significant presence of ISWAP fighters who were attempting to flee the location, upon hearing the sound of the aircraft. The attack platforms were vectored to the area of concentration of the terrorists, unleashing their munitions on the target and causing significant damage to the camp and neutralizing many terrorists.


IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force



Video link- https://www.facebook.com/1684425015103776/posts/2344735222406082/

Boko Haram has released a video of naval guys being executed in baga. Watching that video I swear to God the kind of rage that filled my heart is unadulterated, if you see the kind of heavy weapons BHT seized from the army wallahi it is astonishing, from armoured tanks, APCs artillery gun, shika etc yio can't help to ask yourself what is happening.
I swear if Buhari don't change the service chiefs then he is not serious in fighting this guys infact I will see him as an accomplice in this nonsense going on. We can't keep loosing able bodied men with reckless abandon due to corruption, nepotism and other factors. It's high time the unity of this country is renegotiated if the blood of other Nigerians is what is needed to water the Tree called Nigeria then it should be cut-off shikenan. Where is the $1bn they took from the money belonging to the states to buy weapons? what is happening for heaven's sake

ugo4u:
Boko Haram has released a video of naval guys being executed in baga. Watching that video I swear to God the kind of rage that filled my heart is unadulterated, if you see the kind of heavy weapons BHT seized from the army wallahi it is astonishing, from armoured tanks, APCs artillery gun, shika etc yio can't help to ask yourself what is happening.
I swear if Buhari don't change the service chiefs then he is not serious in fighting this guys infact I will see him as an accomplice in this nonsense going on. We can't keep loosing able bodied men with reckless abandon due to corruption, nepotism and other factors. It's high time the unity of this country is renegotiated if the blood of other Nigerians is what is needed to water the Tree called Nigeria then it should be cut-off shikenan. Where is the $1bn they took from the money belonging to the states to buy weapons? what is happening for heaven's sake

link please?

Opens up on challenges and how to defeat insurgency
•They attack in thousands against us in hundreds
•Sometimes they launch Rocket Propelled Grenades, RPG
•We’ll do better if well equipped and motivated
•Buratais comments demoralising

By Emma Nnadozie, Crime Editor



I t came like a thunderbolt. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen.Tukur Buratai, penultimate Wednesday, said that poor commitment of troops on the front line of the insurgency war is responsible for the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks. Prominent groups, political parties and individuals expressed shock over the statement by Buratai. Then, a voice came from the “wilderness” through a dawn telephone call (number hidden) from one of the soldiers on the front line.

The voice was unmistakably hoarse and angry not only on what the Chief of Army staff said but also against the press for being “docile “over the issue of insurgency in the Northern part of the country. It pleaded for strict anonymity but stated in clear terms that his rendition through the phone is a truthful representation of what is obtainable in the battle front, presently. His outburst is as explosive as it is instructive. He intermittently challenged the press to find way to the battle fronts and find out the true situation of things. He said that Buratai did not encourage them by making such a statement he termed ‘demoralising. Excerpts:

“To start with, if Buratai said we don’t have sufficient commitment in the battle field, Number one, find out how many regular soldiers we have in the battle field to back the troops and give them the needed morale support in the battle front. Let me tell you categorically about the officers we have here in the battle front; short service commissioned officers. You can never see regular combatant officers here. They hide themselves in various places like in Abuja, Lagos, PortHarcourt, where they are making money. In case you don’t know, some regular combatant soldiers are those who spend just within five years and get promoted fast.

It would have been nice if the chief of Army staff came to camp zero here, the heart of Sambisa, before he went to the media. He needs to visit here to see our problems.

Here in camp zero, we have limited Mine Resistant Ambush Protection, MRAP, and gun truck used for maximum capacity to retain fire from the enemies. If Boko Haram is coming with eleven to twenty gun trucks and we have only few here, how can we confront such situation? We agree that in the time of warfare, skill and professionalism matter, but also, the number matters.

With professionalism you can only confront minimal situation. The troops here are ill -equipped and highly demoralized. Even the statement by Buratai is another demoralizing statement. The statement has gotten to the troops in battle grounds, and do you know how we are feeling here now? We feel that despite our struggle, Buratai went ahead and made such a statement, and we are not being appreciated. At the end of the day, the society will treat and look at us with lukewarm and docile attitudes.

In terms of our equipment, let me give you a layman analogy. If you are holding a water cane, no matter how long it is, and you are fighting a man with a cutlass, you may flog him severally, but immediately he gives you one cut, that is the end for you. We are nowhere near Boko Haram.

There is also confusion. On a good day, we could be advancing after receiving intelligence. We will get a call, maybe from one General in Abuja who will say, gentlemen, pin down, pause. That is when you are set to give a massive devastation to the enemies. In the next hour, we will get a call again to advance, before we get there, we would realize that all the enemies have gone. The General may mean well based on intelligence made available to him. But it could also be pure sabotage. That is what I call conspiracy of silence. That’s confusion.

Another instance is that, you can see the army about launching an attack, and they will tell you, gentlemen, withdraw. For what? And when we withdraw, the same road we came through, the enemies would have laid ambush for you. At the end, we would become the victims. Also, when we get Intelligence report through our drone, they will report that in an axis like Metele, we have sighted enemies with about 20 gun trucks, and that we should get ready. Tell me, what stops the Air Force that saw the enemies from shooting them immediately? Then at the end of the month, we are being given N20 or N30, 000, to do what?

Another disheartening part is that, when a soldier dies, after two months, they stop paying the soldier’s salary, and leave his family suffering, without any care for them. If you could recall, a video went viral recently of a soldier that needed a kidney transplant. He needed just about N6 million, but the government could not assist him and that was a man that laid down his life for his country.”

How much are you in the battle front paid?

We receive our normal salary and then, they give us N45, 000. But, all is not given in cash. They give N10, 000 cash; pay N20, 000 into your bank account. Then, the authorities collect the remaining N15, 000, saying it is for our feeding.

What type of food do you people eat?

Normal food, Gari, Rice, Beans, and whatever they bring.

So, we are just here because we don’t have any other country to call our own. We have laid down our lives for Nigeria. There is no greater love than a man to lay down his life for his country and colleague, which is what we are doing here.

Describe how you are equipped to fight enemies?

The simple word is that we are ill-equipped. What we normally have with us is just our AK47 rifles and nothing more apart from our uniforms. Some soldiers don’t have ballistic helmet, some, no fighting jacket, except you make personal efforts. We buy some equipment by ourselves. For instance, if a soldier leading a troop is changed, the new leader has to beg the former to buy his equipment from him after negotiation. If you don’t provide for yourself, you are on your own. Sometimes, we have to go to soldiers in the barracks, give them little money and collect their equipment.

What happens at the battlefield when you go to war?

What we are fighting here is defensive, not offensive. In an ideal situation, we are supposed to be fighting offensive battle. Defensive means that, you are on your own position, and they bring the fight to you. This happens because we don’t have logistics, not the type of vehicles you would expect. When the troops are going, movement could sometimes be compromised. So, when they bring the fight to us, by the time we start engaging them, it becomes difficult. They come in thousands against us in hundreds. We will shoot until we get tired, that your barrel gets so hot that if you don’t pause for a moment and urinate on it to cool off, it could explode and become another weapon of destruction to you.

And as we are firing, after sometime, we run short of ammunition, while they keep coming from right, back and centre, shouting ‘Alahu Ak bar’ and shooting at us. Sometimes, they don’t even come close, they stay afar and launch Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG), one grenade can bring down a 3- storey building, and they come with over a thousand of them. In such situation, how do we face them? There’s a place in Maiduguri well fortified and defended. It will be nice for other locations to be like that.

What makes it difficult for the Air force to intervene?

What we heard is that, when money is released a larger chunk, say about 90%, goes to the army when Airforce could be expecting may be 70%. So, when we call them, they say they don’t have aviation fuel or equipment, and you can’t blame them. But please not that these are challenges we sometimes face. It’s not all the time. There are times we are good and on the offensive and credit must go to where it’s due. But we can be better than we are now.

Is it true people are deserting the army?

That is not a new thing. It only takes the grace of God to withstand all what is going on here. That’s why we have formed a slogan that, a living standing soldier is better than a dead general. It forms the basis for desertion, because if you are alive, you should be able to do something for yourself tomorrow.

What, in your candid opinion, will government do to stop the menace of Boko Haram?

If the government of the day will listen and do the needful:

The morale of the soldiers must be boosted. Provide adequate remuneration for them, how can you be paying what they are earning now and you expect them to be highly motivated. Government should approve money for this war and is approved should be well managed.
Properly equip the soldiers. Look at the way the US army equips their soldiers, it gives them confidence to fight. The money is there to buy these things. Ours is like giving one Toyota Camry to go and fight enemies with Armoured Tankers. We can be better equipped to fight this war. Result will be better.
Where are the hotspots?

For now, the battle is hottest at Gajira, Kareto, Avadan, Damask closer to the Chad. There is this group called Islamic State of West Africa Provinc, ISRAP, that usually join them. When they come, they come fearlessly not minding bullets, shouting Alau Akbar. They come in mass. Whenever the air force comes, we feel relieved. That is only when we have less casualties.

When will this Boko Haram problem end?

Some people are benefiting from it. It will end if the military is well equipped and motivated. If what is affecting our operations are looked into and addressed, things like equipment etc. When you see a tank written 272, the implication is that that tank was made in 1972 which has been phased out. You see the one written 215, and it was made in 1915, during the First World War. Despite all these, we remain here, if we were cowards we won’t be here.

Do senior officers celebrate salah and Christmas with you as claimed?

They do that in areas that are not prone to attacks, relatively calm.

Has there been any protest by you people?

It is an offence punishable under the army act section 63. That is why we are suppressed. Last time they rotated some soldiers and when they protested, they charged them for insubordination. A former highly placed officer who sent troops to a particular route where they were ambushed in 2014 was challenged. Some of those that challenged him were later punished and many of them are still in prison till date

Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/06/boko-haram-army-officer-replies-buratai-from-battle-front/

oyinpr:
link please?

I think it's an old video from the attack at baga where we lost some Epenal Naval boats.
They've been on the back foot lately and tactically released this video to try to change the narrative..............silly bastards!

BabaOwen:
Opens up on challenges and how to defeat insurgency
•They attack in thousands against us in hundreds
•Sometimes they launch Rocket Propelled Grenades, RPG
•We’ll do better if well equipped and motivated
•Buratais comments demoralising

By Emma Nnadozie, Crime Editor



I t came like a thunderbolt. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen.Tukur Buratai, penultimate Wednesday, said that poor commitment of troops on the front line of the insurgency war is responsible for the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks. Prominent groups, political parties and individuals expressed shock over the statement by Buratai. Then, a voice came from the “wilderness” through a dawn telephone call (number hidden) from one of the soldiers on the front line.

The voice was unmistakably hoarse and angry not only on what the Chief of Army staff said but also against the press for being “docile “over the issue of insurgency in the Northern part of the country. It pleaded for strict anonymity but stated in clear terms that his rendition through the phone is a truthful representation of what is obtainable in the battle front, presently. His outburst is as explosive as it is instructive. He intermittently challenged the press to find way to the battle fronts and find out the true situation of things. He said that Buratai did not encourage them by making such a statement he termed ‘demoralising. Excerpts:

“To start with, if Buratai said we don’t have sufficient commitment in the battle field, Number one, find out how many regular soldiers we have in the battle field to back the troops and give them the needed morale support in the battle front. Let me tell you categorically about the officers we have here in the battle front; short service commissioned officers. You can never see regular combatant officers here. They hide themselves in various places like in Abuja, Lagos, PortHarcourt, where they are making money. In case you don’t know, some regular combatant soldiers are those who spend just within five years and get promoted fast.

It would have been nice if the chief of Army staff came to camp zero here, the heart of Sambisa, before he went to the media. He needs to visit here to see our problems.

Here in camp zero, we have limited Mine Resistant Ambush Protection, MRAP, and gun truck used for maximum capacity to retain fire from the enemies. If Boko Haram is coming with eleven to twenty gun trucks and we have only few here, how can we confront such situation? We agree that in the time of warfare, skill and professionalism matter, but also, the number matters.

With professionalism you can only confront minimal situation. The troops here are ill -equipped and highly demoralized. Even the statement by Buratai is another demoralizing statement. The statement has gotten to the troops in battle grounds, and do you know how we are feeling here now? We feel that despite our struggle, Buratai went ahead and made such a statement, and we are not being appreciated. At the end of the day, the society will treat and look at us with lukewarm and docile attitudes.

In terms of our equipment, let me give you a layman analogy. If you are holding a water cane, no matter how long it is, and you are fighting a man with a cutlass, you may flog him severally, but immediately he gives you one cut, that is the end for you. We are nowhere near Boko Haram.

There is also confusion. On a good day, we could be advancing after receiving intelligence. We will get a call, maybe from one General in Abuja who will say, gentlemen, pin down, pause. That is when you are set to give a massive devastation to the enemies. In the next hour, we will get a call again to advance, before we get there, we would realize that all the enemies have gone. The General may mean well based on intelligence made available to him. But it could also be pure sabotage. That is what I call conspiracy of silence. That’s confusion.

Another instance is that, you can see the army about launching an attack, and they will tell you, gentlemen, withdraw. For what? And when we withdraw, the same road we came through, the enemies would have laid ambush for you. At the end, we would become the victims. Also, when we get Intelligence report through our drone, they will report that in an axis like Metele, we have sighted enemies with about 20 gun trucks, and that we should get ready. Tell me, what stops the Air Force that saw the enemies from shooting them immediately? Then at the end of the month, we are being given N20 or N30, 000, to do what?

Another disheartening part is that, when a soldier dies, after two months, they stop paying the soldier’s salary, and leave his family suffering, without any care for them. If you could recall, a video went viral recently of a soldier that needed a kidney transplant. He needed just about N6 million, but the government could not assist him and that was a man that laid down his life for his country.”

How much are you in the battle front paid?

We receive our normal salary and then, they give us N45, 000. But, all is not given in cash. They give N10, 000 cash; pay N20, 000 into your bank account. Then, the authorities collect the remaining N15, 000, saying it is for our feeding.

What type of food do you people eat?

Normal food, Gari, Rice, Beans, and whatever they bring.

So, we are just here because we don’t have any other country to call our own. We have laid down our lives for Nigeria. There is no greater love than a man to lay down his life for his country and colleague, which is what we are doing here.

Describe how you are equipped to fight enemies?

The simple word is that we are ill-equipped. What we normally have with us is just our AK47 rifles and nothing more apart from our uniforms. Some soldiers don’t have ballistic helmet, some, no fighting jacket, except you make personal efforts. We buy some equipment by ourselves. For instance, if a soldier leading a troop is changed, the new leader has to beg the former to buy his equipment from him after negotiation. If you don’t provide for yourself, you are on your own. Sometimes, we have to go to soldiers in the barracks, give them little money and collect their equipment.

What happens at the battlefield when you go to war?

What we are fighting here is defensive, not offensive. In an ideal situation, we are supposed to be fighting offensive battle. Defensive means that, you are on your own position, and they bring the fight to you. This happens because we don’t have logistics, not the type of vehicles you would expect. When the troops are going, movement could sometimes be compromised. So, when they bring the fight to us, by the time we start engaging them, it becomes difficult. They come in thousands against us in hundreds. We will shoot until we get tired, that your barrel gets so hot that if you don’t pause for a moment and urinate on it to cool off, it could explode and become another weapon of destruction to you.

And as we are firing, after sometime, we run short of ammunition, while they keep coming from right, back and centre, shouting ‘Alahu Ak bar’ and shooting at us. Sometimes, they don’t even come close, they stay afar and launch Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG), one grenade can bring down a 3- storey building, and they come with over a thousand of them. In such situation, how do we face them? There’s a place in Maiduguri well fortified and defended. It will be nice for other locations to be like that.

What makes it difficult for the Air force to intervene?

What we heard is that, when money is released a larger chunk, say about 90%, goes to the army when Airforce could be expecting may be 70%. So, when we call them, they say they don’t have aviation fuel or equipment, and you can’t blame them. But please not that these are challenges we sometimes face. It’s not all the time. There are times we are good and on the offensive and credit must go to where it’s due. But we can be better than we are now.

Is it true people are deserting the army?

That is not a new thing. It only takes the grace of God to withstand all what is going on here. That’s why we have formed a slogan that, a living standing soldier is better than a dead general. It forms the basis for desertion, because if you are alive, you should be able to do something for yourself tomorrow.

What, in your candid opinion, will government do to stop the menace of Boko Haram?

If the government of the day will listen and do the needful:

The morale of the soldiers must be boosted. Provide adequate remuneration for them, how can you be paying what they are earning now and you expect them to be highly motivated. Government should approve money for this war and is approved should be well managed.
Properly equip the soldiers. Look at the way the US army equips their soldiers, it gives them confidence to fight. The money is there to buy these things. Ours is like giving one Toyota Camry to go and fight enemies with Armoured Tankers. We can be better equipped to fight this war. Result will be better.
Where are the hotspots?

For now, the battle is hottest at Gajira, Kareto, Avadan, Damask closer to the Chad. There is this group called Islamic State of West Africa Provinc, ISRAP, that usually join them. When they come, they come fearlessly not minding bullets, shouting Alau Akbar. They come in mass. Whenever the air force comes, we feel relieved. That is only when we have less casualties.

When will this Boko Haram problem end?

Some people are benefiting from it. It will end if the military is well equipped and motivated. If what is affecting our operations are looked into and addressed, things like equipment etc. When you see a tank written 272, the implication is that that tank was made in 1972 which has been phased out. You see the one written 215, and it was made in 1915, during the First World War. Despite all these, we remain here, if we were cowards we won’t be here.

Do senior officers celebrate salah and Christmas with you as claimed?

They do that in areas that are not prone to attacks, relatively calm.

Has there been any protest by you people?

It is an offence punishable under the army act section 63. That is why we are suppressed. Last time they rotated some soldiers and when they protested, they charged them for insubordination. A former highly placed officer who sent troops to a particular route where they were ambushed in 2014 was challenged. Some of those that challenged him were later punished and many of them are still in prison till date

Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/06/boko-haram-army-officer-replies-buratai-from-battle-front/

No no no. Some of these thing makes no sense. Feels like an interview with a deserting officer who knows little about our operational procedures then trying to paint the military back.

Infact, this is a poorly researched interview or whatever it is. You mean you request for air support and the next information is there's no aviation fuel?

This is the most foolish write up I have ever seen in my 2019.

This Boko boys lol...

Ain't moved a bit by that video abi trailer..

It's just like rookie who hits payment.. running to FB and insta uploading pics and vids,to let him niggas and people know he is balling

They ve been taking L's past few days..maybe they thought it's best time to release old vids and PR to ginger their troops and sympathizers..


They ain't shiit I repeat..