By Yabo Chris Ephraim
It is always darker before day break. The journey towards ridding Nigeria of terrorism is coming to an end as our gallant troops have successfully sustained their onslaught against the insurgents and other criminal elements through a special Operation code named Operation TURA TAKAIBANGO where troops of Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE are already making inroads since the commencement of the Operation about two weeks ago.
Under what local sources from the villages and communities close to the war scene described as a massive and coordinated simultaneous onslaught against the terrorists from different flanks in the Timbuktu triangle, Sambisa forest and the lake Chad tunbusthe notorious terrorists’ camps in Gorgore, Buk, Crosskawa, Talala axis are reportedly taken over by the Nigerian army. The remnants of the terrorists are in the run, crouching for safety in different directions. Some are trying to crossover to neighbouring countries but the troops are already in blocking positions, mobile from one location to another. This makes the insurgents to be choked up looking for food and other key supplies.
A local hunter in Buni Gari who does not want his name published, (in response to an attack on his community) told a radio reporter recently in an interview with Yobe State radio that “this last minutes effort by the terrorists to unleash mayhem in the surrounding vulnerable localities and opportunistic targets as they scamper for safety is a decoy, so that they can gain a false sense of strength in their weakness. The truth is that they have been greatly weakened, and the troops are on their trail for a final defeat this time around”.
Thus, no wonder that despite the critical stand of the Governor of Borno state about the military, he was quoted to commend the military for the recorded successes recently. The governor Prof. Babagana Zulum at the presentation of the staff of office to the Emir of Biu on Saturday 23rd January 2021 said ” May I use this medium to commend the effort of the Federal Government and in particular the Nigerian military for recent successes they have recorded in defeating the insurgents especially by taking the war into the enclaves of the insurgents. I must commend the Chief of Army Staff, Directors, Principal Staff Officers of Army Headquarters, the Theatre Commander, the General Officer Commanding, Sector Commanders, Brigade Commanders, Commanding Officers, Men and officers of the Nigerian Army, men and officers of the Nigerian police force and other paramilitary, Civilian Joint Task Force, hunters and vigilantes for the support they have rendered in securing the territorial integrity of our nation”.
It would be recalled that the Chief of Army Staff Gen Tukur Buratai has on many occasions assured Nigerians that with sustained determination, resilience, logistics support and overall support and cooperation from members of the public, terrorism will soon be a thing of the past. The military has kept faith with this commitment and this is evident by the successes recorded recently, where troops of Operation TURA TAKAI BANGO and the Air Task Force Operation LAFIYA DOLE conducted a decisive onslaught against the terrorists in many encounters in the Timbuktu triangle. In one of the encounters – 7 gun trucks belonging to the terrorists were destroyed and scores of them were reportedly decimated during the operation at the outskirt of Marte in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
Recall that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Buratai while commending the troops on the success of that operation, urged them to push for a final flush out of the insurgents. The insurgents have always employed the tactics of fleeing from hostile environment, and resort to attacking soft targets whenever they have been grossly degraded. It is therefore important that we collectively unite and focus on defeating the terrorists, as our troops continue to push for decisive victory against the insurgents.
In a situation like this, it is necessary and important to alert the local communities and villages to seriously look out for fleeing insurgents running out of the battle ground and report same to nearby security location. Local hunters, vigilantes and community leaders should sensitize their people to be aware of the critical stage of the war on terror and report any suspicious persons or movement to the military or any security agency close to them.
With the defeat of terrorism getting closer, there seems to be another chapter of security challenge emerging across the south western part of Nigeria. The looming danger on the call for the relocation of fulani herdsmen from the southern part to northern part of Nigeria. Already, conflict entrepreneurs who do not mean well for Nigeria, have ceased the opportunity to sow more fear and disaffection. They are fanning the embers of violence across the country which is counter productive to the successes of this final phase of the war against insurgency and the anti banditry Operation across the nation.
Therefore, Nigerians must remain resolute, united and courageous to the total annihilation of the terrorists and other criminal elements that have held this country backward for years.
The dark tunnel’s end light is near, and it is important to keep our gaze on the total victory than brood on ethnic bigotry. We must not be cajoled into violence and anarchy or lawlessness. As it is with every good venture, it gets meddled with forces that won’t want the good venture to see the light of day. But if we are united in this course, the bad eggs in this country and all their collaborators shall be defeated.
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