President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday vowed to put an end to the Boko Haram insurgency by procuring modern weapons, improve welfare of soldiers, and enhance military operations in the North East, the epi-centre of the insurgency.
“As President and by the powers conferred on me, I assure you that government will procure modern fighting equipment to end the madness of Boko Haram and other acts of our enemies.
‘’I want to also assure you that government is doing everything to increase the welfare of Nigerian Army,” Buhari said in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, while speaking at the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Annual Conference.
However, the Nigerian Army said it has recovered the bodies of all the soldiers killed during Boko Haram insurgents’ attack on three military bases in Metele, Borno State.
President Buhari, who was special guest of honour, while declaring the conference open spoke on the theme, “Optimizing Efficiency for the Efficiency of the Army in Nigeria’s Democracy,” and expressed regret that some soldiers paid the supreme price in the course of operations against Boko Haram terrorists.
He said: “I have been visiting some of our injured troops in the hospitals and I also spoke to others in their bases to assure them of our continued support. It is a must-win war. I want to encourage our troops not to be distracted but remain focused on the task of eliminating Boko Haram from the face of the earth.
“The Nigerian Army’s commitment to upholding democracy is appropriately captured in the theme of the conference, which is optimizing the operational efficiency of the Nigerian Army towards safeguarding democracy in the national security.
“This conference is timely, considering the fact that this government is determined to end security challenges in the North East, Niger-Delta and farmers/herdsmen clashes in some parts of the country.
President Buhari on his visit to Soldiers wounded in Maiduguri remarked ‘’I want to convey our deep condolences to the families of heroic gallant officers and soldiers who paid the supreme price while maintaining law and order in our fatherland.
“We remain committed to ending the crisis in the North-East and making the entire area safe for all. I urge you all to keep up the good work. I know that you are doing your job to reverse this trend. I want to assure you that no effort will be spared in providing the necessary support you require to complete your task.
“As we approach the 2019 general elections, I want to urge members of our security forces to remain non-partisan and live up to expectations on the rules of engagement, deepen our democratic structure by collaborating with other security agencies in ridding the nation of any violent act that could mar the electoral process.
“I want to specifically console with family of late General Idris Alkali and the Nigerian Army for his untimely death in the hands of some evil doers. As a government, I want to assure you that we are doing everything possible to bring the perpetrators to book.”
The president, who arrived the Maiduguri International Airport at 11:30am, was received by Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State. He headed to the Palace of His Royal Highness, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Elkanemi, on a courtesy call, after which he left for the venue of the conference at the Command Guest Inn, Baga Road, Maiduguri.
