Buratai: We Have Defeated Insurgency, But Facing the Challenge of Terrorism

“There is no where you will not find Boko Haram, even in
Lagos here, there are Boko Haram. In Kaduna, there are Boko Haram.
There are more across the North-east. Many have been arrested here
in Lagos. We have been tracking them. We arrest them and take them
into custody”.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, has
disclosed that members of Boko Haram having been dislodged from
their base in the North-east, are now scattered all over the
country.

Speaking at an interview with THISDAY and Arise News Channel,
Buratai said the military has defeated insurgency in the
North-east, but is now facing the challenge of terrorism.

He revealed that Boko Haram members are everywhere in the
country, including Lagos, adding that there are more across the
North-east. The Army chief insisted that even though insurgency had
been defeated, terrorism would remain in the country for years.
He said: “We have defeated insurgency, but facing the challenge of
terrorism.

“There is no where you will not find Boko Haram – even in Lagos
here, there are Boko Hatam. In Kaduna, there are Boko Haram. There
are more across the North-east. Many have been arrested here in
Lagos. We have been tracking them. We arrest them and take them
into custody.

“We must differentiate between insurgency and terrorism. I have
tried to tell them at the National Assembly. Someone said three
local governments are under Boko Haram. How? These guys are not
controlling any territory. They attempted to establish their
territory, caliphate in Gwoza but they have not been able to
because they were flushed out. That is insurgency. They are not
holding any territory.

“Typically, that is the end if insurgency. But what of
terrorism? Terrorism will outlive you and me and probably everybody
in this house because terrorism, since it started, just like armed
robbery, like kidnapping, burglary, cultism, it would continue.
These are all smaller parts of terrorism. It is when it goes higher
that you have arsons, like it happened in Borno yesterday, murder
and so on deliberately, no cause.

“What is happening now is just criminality. Since last year, we
have not given them any respite. They are now blocked. They no
longer have access to foods; their movements are constrained; they
no longer get the fuel they needed easily because we have
strangulated them. They are now in depressed state; so, they go out
with vengeance to attack commuters to abduct individuals and
targeting certain religious persons just for their propaganda. This
is also is one of the Boko Haram terrorist’s strategy –
propaganda.”

Buratai gave an insight into how Nigeria dealt with the
potential threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity
arising from the operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force
(MNJTF).

The Army chief, who was appointed the first commander of the
rejuvenated MNJTF in May 2015, said the MJTF that was in place
prior to the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015,
allowed foreign troops to be stationed in Nigeria to help in the
fight against Boko Haram insurgents.

He explained that it took smart thinking on the part of the new
leadership to realise that allowing foreign troops to be stationed
in Nigeria would be counter-productive.
He explained that his leadership of MNJTF made him conscious of the
implications of allowing an intervention force in Nigerian
territory as contrary to the initial concept of MNJTF that
envisaged that each country remains within their territories, they
were to be deployed in Nigeria in the wake of the insurgency.

It would have been a major risk to allow foreign forces to
remain in Nigeria’s territory, he added.
He said: “Let me start by making this point very clear. As at 2015
and up till the time the multinational joint task force was
established and when the operations of the MNJTF started to contend
with the insurgency and the Boko Haram terrorists, at that point,
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nigeria was at stake
and this is within the concept of operation of the MNJTF.

He said: “Before we know where we are now we must know where we
were before the present situation. Let me start by making this
point very clear. As at 2015, up to the time the Multinational
Joint Task Force was established and started to contain the Boko
Haram insurgency. At that point, the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Nigeria was at stake. This is within the background of
concept of operation of the Multi National Joint Taskforce.

He explained that the conceptualisation of the MNJTF concept of
operation envisaged that a peace-keeping force was to be
established and deployed within the Nigerian territories.

“You and I know very well that once an intervention force is put
in place, then be rest assured that your territorial integrity,
your sovereignty will be infringed upon. That was the idea”, he
added.
He said the MNJTF initially had three main sectors- the first
sector is in Cameroon, which was to be deployed in far northern
Cameroonian province with headquarters at Mora.

“Sector 2 is where the issue of sovereignty came in. Chad was to
deploy in the northern part of Nigeria up to section of Gamboru
Gala, Maute and some part of Bama and Gwoza. They were to be under
the Chadian troops deployed there. Then Sector 3, which is Nigeria,
with headquarters at Baga to be stationed at that place in
conjunction with Nigerien troops; that is, the troops from Niger
Republic. They are to operate there with the mandate to defeat Boko
Haram terrorists; to rescue the adopted persons, including the
Chibok girls and also to facilitate humanitarian activities and to
equally get the restoration of law and order by bringing back the
civil administration in those areas.

“That is the key mandate of MNJTF. The point is at what point
did this change? I was privileged to command the MNJTF. I have the
concept operation in my fingertips. I realised the dangers of
having an intervention force deployed in one’s territory. Although
the concept provided for the operations of those countries’ armed
forces or military within their own territory but that of Nigeria
was an exception because the Chadian troops will be on our
territory; the Nigerien troops would be on our territory although
partially not completely, not until later when they created the
fourth sector which had been deferred.

“These are the complexities. If we had allowed the foreign
forces to be on our territories, our country will be divided along
that line. Clearly, the adversary – the terrorists’ territory would
be clearly defined as against our own sovereign territory.
“This is key. When Mr. President came and saw the implication and I
have been appointed the Chief of Army Staff, my first priority is
to ensure that we don’t allow a full implementation of that concept
of operation where the Chadian troops would be on our territory on
permanent basis. That was the action I took.

Within the first two months, we were to move – take over Gamboru
Gala, and that is the end where we now said the other force from
Chad had to find alternative location within their own territory.
This is major achievement of Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief
where he saved the territorial integrity of this country from
falling into the hands of foreign interests, foreign interference –
let me use that word and if that decision was not taken, that we
were able to recover that aspect and deployed our troops by now, we
would probably be negotiating between the terrorists as well as our
own government and that is quite dangerous and we would be fighting
at so many fronts.

“Nigeria must be grateful to Mr. President and Commander -in-
Chief and by extension they should be grateful to the armed forces
of Nigeria for keeping our territorial integrity and that is our
constitutional responsibility, which would have been able to
safeguard and ensure that is in force until today,” Buratai
added.

•The interview was also joined by THISDAY columnist and
publisher of TheCable, Mr. Simon Kolawole