Members of the Nigerian Armed Forces deserve commendation and more moral support from Nigerians for the various internal operations they are involved in.
According to the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO), up-to-date information from the field show that sustained air and land operations are yielding fruitful dividends in many places where the army and the air force have been deployed.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, BMO said that Zamfara and Borno states are places where the military have been recording tremendous successes.
“The army had in the last four weeks been engaged in intense firefight with Boko Haram terrorists on several fronts in Borno state, even at a time the rest of the country had its attention fixed on the elections.
“Reports from the theatre of the various operations show that the insurgents were beaten back as they attempted to infiltrate troops’ location around Bula-Yobe, Banki axis in Borno state in the same week that soldiers of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) killed no fewer than 50 terrorists and destroyed as many as 70 gun trucks.
“ Also troops deployed to stem the tide of armed banditry in Zamfara killed 55 bandits and rescued about 760 kidnap victims within a two-week period. About 24 people, including suspected informants and logistics suppliers for the bandits, were also arrested and handed over to the Police for possible investigation and prosecution.
“But surprisingly, these success stories are not getting the type of traction mainstream and social media are known to regularly give negative stories or unverifiable Boko Haram propaganda.”
BMO said an integral part of the successful military operation in the two states is the coordinated air surveillance missions which paved the way for a successful interdiction of the terrorists.
“It is gratifying to see land and air troops coordinating quite well to the extent that series of day and night Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions were conducted in the affected areas .This was followed by air strikes on Boko Haram logistic facilities and fighters in several locations within a three day period.
“And in Zamfara, the air component of Operation Sharan Daji carried out air raids in Kagara, Gando, Fankama, Fete and Dumburum forests to soften the ground for troops to rescue 760 abductees, consisting of men, women and children taken from various communities in the state.
The pro-Buhari group pointed out that these sustained operations took place at a time the army deployed soldiers to assist the police on electoral duties in states prone to political violence.
It said: “This shows that the Nigerian Military has the capacity and capabilities to deploy officers and men in volatile areas like the Niger Delta and at the same time sustain its operations against terrorists on the fringes of the Lake Chad, and bandits in the forests of Zamfara state.”