Abdulsalam Abubakar, the theatre commander of Operation Hadin Kai, says the infiltration of foreign mercenaries into the north-east region has intensified the threat posed by terrorist groups like the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram.
Speaking during a media tour in Maiduguri, the Borno state
capital, Abubakar said such involvement has led to more sophisticated tactics
among terrorist groups, including the deployment of drones for surveillance and
attacks, the fabrication of advanced improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and
the setting of traps targeting military personnel.
“The infiltration of foreign mercenaries in the joint
operations area has significantly escalated the threat posed by terrorist
groups like ISWAP and JAS,” he said.
“The recent arrest of four Pakistani nationals, whose
initial investigation suggests that they deal in arms running with terrorists,
is instructive.
“It suffices to mention that the foreign mercenaries
facilitate tactical and strategic training for these terrorists.”
Abubakar observed a growing coordination among terrorist
networks, noting that this synergy has led to greater casualties and
significant equipment losses for government forces.
“The growing influence of these mercenaries is evident in
the terrorists’ increasing coordinated assets resulting in higher casualties
among troops and greater equipment losses,” he said.
“This alarming trend calls for an immediate coordinated
response, including intensified intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
operations, as well as strong collaboration between Nigeria and neighbouring
nations to disrupt cross-border support network.
“The Boko Haram/Islamic States West African Province
terrorists were not waging war against the armed forces but against Nigeria.”
The commander praised the dedication of Nigerian troops
serving under tough conditions and called for greater national support and
recognition.
“We have our troops here in the field spreading different
locations during these harsh weather conditions, which can rapidly become also
very cold at night,” he said.
“So there are heroes, and I tell you, we will do well to
appreciate them occasionally and the only way to do that is through the media.
“These are also Nigerians and it is not the terrorists
against the armed forces; it is the terrorists against Nigeria as a nation.
“So once we begin to understand this and have a common
front, we will be able to make a very tangible progress.”
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The porosity of our boarders need to be solved before we can achieve/ enjoy 100% security
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