Boko Haram: Troops construct own water, bread factories

Troops of the 115 Task Force Battalion, Operation Lafiya Dole, in Askira-Uba, have constructed bread and sachet water factories to support soldiers fighting Boko Haram insurgents in Borno state.

Maj. Yusuf Salisu, 115 Task Force Commander, disclosed this during an operational visit by the acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division of the army, Brig.-Gen. Bulama Biu, on Friday.

Salisu, who was represented by Maj. Godwin Ameh, said that the project was executed under the Battalion Commander Humanitarian Initiative. He said that the initiative came as part of the modality towards protecting its soldiers from consuming unwholesome and poisonous foods or water from Boko Haram and their sympathizers.

He explained that some of the bread sold daily in commercial places could contain cancer-causing chemicals, including Potassium Bromate and Potassium Iodate, which are banned substances in the country.

According to him, the whole idea is to provide healthy food to the soldiers, adding that “the initiative was also designed to provide humanitarian support and services to the less privileged in the hospitals, church, mosque and the entire host communities with a view to strengthen civic relationship.

“So far we have provided bread for more than 2, 000 patients in the hospitals in the communities. Every Friday and Sunday, we take bread and distribute free of charge to Muslim and Christian in the communities.

“It has already yielded positive result because we were able to minimize the cost of providing breakfast to our soldiers. Also, potable drinking water, which used to pose great challenge in the past had also been addressed through our water factory,” he said.

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In his remarks, the acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division of the army, Brig.-Gen. Bulama Biu, commended the troops for the initiative, noting that it would go a long way in reducing risk, illness and improving the health and safety of the troops.

Biu said that “one of the core strategies of winning any war in the world was threatening civil-military relationship, I am happy that you are already doing that here.

“The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Burutai is proud of you; we are all proud of you and this type of laudable initiative of yours cannot be ignored.”