The
Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said some of the killer
herdsmen, who had wreaked havoc in Benue, Enugu and Ekiti states among others,
may have affiliation with the Boko Haram insurgents.
He
said this on Thursday in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, when he paid a
courtesy visit to the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, at his Oke Mosan
office.
Buratai,
who was also visiting Army formations in the state, said this probability was
already being investigated as the troops continued their onslaught on the
insurgents in the North-East.
He,
however, called on all Nigerians to be security conscious and report any
suspicious movement of persons in their communities to security agents.
The
Army chief added, “One may not be too far from the fact that some of these
herdsmen that are attacking communities across the country may have some
affiliation with the Boko Haram terrorists.
“This
we are further investigating and also pursuing them so that we can address the
situation.
“Let’s
report quickly movement of suspicious persons carrying arms especially. If you
suspect any individual within your community, we should be able to report
immediately. Timely information is very important.
“We
have our troops deployed in certain areas and I believe the Police are working
with them to be able to tackle any challenge that comes in immediately.”
Buratai,
who explained that the insurgents had been largely defeated, said there was no
community in the North-East under the sect’s control.
He
said, “Our troops are patrolling all those places and we are coordinating with
the Multinational Joint Task Force to ensure that the borders are well secured
and are blocked from any infiltration.”
Amosun,
who called for the creation of a Nigerian Army Division in the state, said the
population of the state had increased to over seven million just as the economy
of the state had also expanded tremendously.
He
commended the military for the successes recorded against the Boko Haram
terrorists.
“Nigerians
are now happy with the military. We are happy that normalcy has returned to the
North-East region even to the point where Emirs, who had earlier had to run
away from their domains, have now returned,” he added.
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