In an attempt to, at least, reduce the ridicule that has followed the inability of the Nigerian military to stem the excesses of the Boko Haram insurgents terrorising the country, Defence Headquarters on Thursday boasted that it was fortified enough and has the capacity to fight the insurgents and rescue the over 234 girls abducted in Chibok, Borno State about a month ago.
This is coming same day Military chiefs visited Chibok to assess the situation.
Countries including the United States of America, Canada, France, and others have agreed to assist Nigeria as the country’s military had done less, concentrating on what many Nigerians now see as propaganda.
The poor response of the military and the Federal Government had provoked Nigerians, resulting in protests that have now spread across the world.
The military also said it has not failed the country, maintaining that people only had negative impression about its strength in the fight against terrorism, according to the Director of Defence Information, Major-General Chris Olukolade, who released a statement on Thursday.
Olukolade accused some Nigerians of misrepresenting the Defence Headquarters engagement with some civil society groups concerning how far it had gone in the effort to rescue the girls, saying the distortion was aimed at setting the people of the country against the military.
He maintained that the military, by training is not given to issuing complaints, buck-passing or resignation to defeat as alleged in the report; adding that the Armed Forces will not join issues with representatives of the ‘Bring Back The Girls’ groups.
“It is important to reiterate that no attempt by any group or individual to drag the military into politics will succeed as the Armed Forces are focused on the task of rescuing the abducted girls,” Olukolade said.
He added that the military is not against the ‘bring back the girls’ campaign as a means to end insurgency, but it should not be seen as means to undermine military efforts.
A statement by Major-General Chris Olukolade, said the visit was part of efforts to get to the end of the issue adding that the security chiefs who visited the affected community include the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, service chiefs, and the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar.
The statement quoted the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, as stressing that every single life is important to the nation and that as a result, the military would do everything to rescue the girls.
Badeh appealed to members of the immediate community and the general public to provide security agencies with useful information that will lead to the rescue of the girls, adding that some of the facilities inspected, include burnt classrooms, dormitories and laboratories. They were conducted round the school by the Vice Principal, Administration, Bulama Modu
