Military might alone can’t win anti terrorism war- DHQ
By Andrew Orolua
The Defence Headquarters DHQ has said that military might alone cannot win the anti terrorism war.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba said this on Thursday in Abuja.
According to him, the panacea lies in a combination of good governance and the ability to change the conditions that make the insurgents willing to fight.
Major General Buba said, “We must now win this war by changing the conditions that make the insurgents willing to fight. We must also win the war by increasing support for government at various levels through heart and mind projects indicative of good governance.”
Buba, during a media briefing, said troops have continued to decimate terrorists and violent extremists in the country, stressing that 286 terrorists were neutralised while 244 were arrested during the week.
“We have eliminated several terrorists, their leaders and commanders.Troops are continually going after the terrorists and dislodging them from their hideouts. In spite of all these and other successes over the years, it would appear that there are more to be done to win this war outside the use of military pressure.
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“There is no gain saying that there are salient challenges affecting our country that require practical ideas and solutions. It is against this background that the military finds itself uniquely positioned to unabatedly address the security challenges in the country” he emphasised.
The military, he added, would waste no time or spare any effort to ensure the security and safety of citizens across the country.
Buba assured that necessary measures are being taken to ensure a secure and safer environment for the citizenry.
The Defence spokesman noted the prevailing harsh realities in the country, saying however that Nigerians are known for their resilience during hard times.
“There is no doubt that, the times that we are in, are difficult and therefore a watershed moment for our country. Citizens are urged to realise that tough times do not last, but tough people do. As a people, we are renowned for our pride in being tough and resilient. There is no better time to manifest these qualities in us in overcoming the pains of today for the gains of tomorrow. I dare say, that this too, shall pass,” he said.
He called on patriotic and well-meaning citizens to contribute alternative ideas on ways to make a difference in turning the situation around, adding that collaborative effort is essential at this time. ‘Simply put, we are one people, one nation and one destiny”.
According to him, besides neutralising hundreds of terrorists within the week under review, troops also arrested 83 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 122 kidnapped hostages.
