With these last ‘equipments’, Nigeria army will be able to rescue the Chibok girls
– Buratai says officers’ morale need to be boosted
– Adds also that there is serious need to beef up the army
– Denies allegations by Amnesty International
Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, on Thursday evening agreed that the country’s army was still challenged in its bid to effectively root out the Boko Haram and free abducted citizens including the Chibok girls.
Buratai, who made this disclosure during a live interview monitored in Lagos, listed some of the challenges to include the need to get more personnel as the army can never have enough personnel to meet its required target.
Buratai believes the army is still challenged.
Apart from this, he said the army would need more technology to combat insurgency and other such security problems in parts of the country.
“You can never have troops enough to fight a war. We need more troops and technology,” he said while noting that the government was doing its best to boost the morale of army officials.
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“In terms of surveillance, we have some challenges and that is the fact. We have made some efforts to provide tactical level surveillance for our troops.
“If you look at the damage done in some parts of Nigeria, it is quite enormous,” Buratai stressed adding that there was need to continually strengthen the army.
He disclosed that intelligence information gathered from both local and international sources have assisted in the success so far recorded in the fight against Boko Haram.
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“From the successes achieved in regaining areas hitherto taken over by insurgents, intelligence information received so far have been quite useful,” he said.
Asked what had happened to the army fleet, Buratai said the army had never had a fleet even though it had trained personnel for that purpose. He also said Nigeria needed to be like Colombia which has enough aircraft in its fleet.
Buratai, who was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, also said the procurement process in the army has been streamlined to conform to the needed standard as against few years ago.
Concerning an allegation of extra-judicial killings levelled against the Nigerian military by Amnesty International, Buratai said such claim was highly misplaced adding that the rule of military engagement is derived from the country’s constitution and its practices are legitimate and of the best interest of the people.
“The first principle of the Nigeria army is the preservation of life. It is on the last resort that the army uses superior power,” he said.
Poised to enhance the professionalism skills in the Nigerian Army, as well as share proficiency ideas, Buratai had on Tuesday, made a courtesy call on President Abdul Hamid of Bangladesh, at Bangabhaban in Dhaka, the South Asian nation’s capital.
Welcoming the Nigerian army chief to Bangabhaban, President Hamid underscored the need for exchange of visit of top officials of the armed forces of Bangladesh and Nigeria and said that such exchanges will help to increase the professional skills of the forces of both countries, the president’s press secretary, Joynal Abedin said.
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