The Nigerian Army has attributed their failure to nip in the bud the activities of dreaded Boko Haram terrorists to the refusal of civilians to provide useful information to the security forces.
On Saturday, over 43 rice farmers were killed in some communities in Borno State. Although a United Nations report gave 110 as number of people killed in the attack.
Responding to the figure of casualties, John Enenche, the Nigerian Army spokesman has said that the military was still investigating to verify the actual number of people killed in the attack.
Enenche said this on Monday while featuring on a national television.
He said the refusal of some locals to furnish the military with information about the terrorist group has been hindering the military’s victory over the terrorists group.
“That has been our worry. It’s a concern to us. You need a guide, you need information. Will they tell us? That’s a question that we have to ask. Yes, sometimes. And most times, no. And that was one of the issues. We have been ensuring to overcome with civil-military cooperation activities, reaching out to them, even sending people by proxy to talk to them.
“Those are the things that have been one of the banes of the final success in the whole of this operation.
“Our patrols will pass through a route, in a village. By the time you are going, some people are looking at you. When you are coming back, the next thing is that you meet an IED planted on the road. And people saw them, they won’t tell you. So that’s the area I think we are all working together as stakeholders.
“And it is not possible to force information out of people. It’s not possible, just like they say you force a horse to the river, but not to drink water. So all we are trying to do is to build up their confidence in the system and encourage them that look, this is not good for you. Now they do not expect that this will happen, even those ones that they deceived, that they are preaching to them.”
Recall that well meaning top Nigerians on several occasions, particularly as a result of mass killing of innocent and law abiding Nigerians by the terrorist group, have advised the President to overhaul his service chiefs but the number one man has been adamant.
