By ALBERT AKPOR
LAGOS – The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. General OA Ihejirjka yesterday in Lagos announced that videos and DVDs of overseas military training of the dreaded Islamic fundamentalist group otherwise known as Boko Haram have been recovered and are being studied.

The army boss who urged Nigerians not to panic any longer also said security agencies in the country, particularly the Nigerian Army have made tremendous achievement in the fight against the menace of the sect. General Ihejirika made the disclosure at the commissioning ceremony of completed abandoned buildings at the Ojo military cantonment, along Lagos/Badagry Expressway.

The buildings named Indian quarters, following the visit of some Indian military technicians about 32 years ago is to provide accommodation for 36 army personnel. He said he decided to oversee the completion of most abandoned projects, especially housing because of his vision to boost the morale of officers and soldiers on assumption of office as the Chief of Army Staff.

On the menace of the Islamic fundamentalist group, the Army boss said: “I want to assure Nigerians that the goal of Boko Haram is to create panic and make us submit to their unrealistic demands and that cannot be.”

[b]We have made tremendous achievement in the fight against the sect. We have made several arrests, some are in the custody of the police, SSS and even the prisons. So Nigerians should no longer panic because that is their goal.

As I speak with you now, we have in our custody videos and DVDs of their overseas military training and that is assisting us in our operation against them.” Debunking claims that some military officers were among those arrested during cross fire with the sect, General Ihekirika said, “No, that is not true. We have not arrested any soldier or military officer among members of Boko Haram in our operation against them”.

[/b]Commending the Nigerian Army Engineering department which completed the three storey buildings and a bungalow using direct labour, the army chief said, “It is a good job that they have done. At least 36 officers who would have been confronted with accommodation problem can now comfortably own one.

I decided to take up this project when I came on board because of my vision to transform the Nigerian Army and to be able to do this, you have to boost the morals of officers and soldiers.