By Joy Odor
The Theatre Commander of Joint Tasks Forces (JTF ) Operation Hadin Kai North East (NE), Major General W. Shaibu has made it clear to the general public on Tuesday that the Armed Forces do not involve in rehabilitation, reintegration or resettlment of repented terrorists, rather, is the job of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and other government agencies.
According to Gen Shaibu while answering questions at the tentative combined second, third and fourth Quarter Defence Media Correspondent tour visit to the JTF NE OPHK from 10th to 13th December 2024 in Maiduguri, informed that the military job is to give security support to the government organizations involved in the work across Theater operations in Nigeria.
While reeling out some of the modest successful achievements during the period under review recently, the JTF Theatre Commander said some of the results includ:le, Restoration of relative peace and security with social economic activities across the Theater, Provision of safe and secure environment leading to the resumption of NYSC orientation scheme which was hitherto suspended for over 12 years due to insurgents attacks in Borno State, Renovation of schools through Quick Impact Projects, Construction of Solar powered industrial boreholes, Distribution of notebooks in primary and secondary schools, Resumption of WAEC in Banki and Gwoza areas where the Examinations could not hold for some time due to insecurity, Commendation of Theatre for the Human management of detainees in the Joint Investigation Center (JIC), and Reopening of some hitherto closed roads and communities among others.
He maintained that the activities of terrorists across the North East Region over the past 16 years brought about the involvement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria with a series of transformations that established the current JTF (NE) OPHK, saying the efforts of the troops over the years have created a more stable and thriving environment across the States.
Gen Shaibu mentioned that such effects have resulted in the numerous non-kinetic operations to win the heart and mind of the populace with the massive surrendering of insurgents and their family members.
He also said the efforts have equally led to the rescue kidnapped victims of the terrorists, affirming his commitment to the attainment of its mandate to totally defeat the terrorists and restore law and order to the North East region as well as create an enabling environment for economic activities to thrive.
“Recall that the activities of the Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wa’Jihad popularly known as BHTs in the North East Region, particularly in Borno, Yobe and part of Adamawa States came under spotlights in the year 2009.
“The nefarious activities of the sect with attendant sporadic killings and arson became escalated after Abubakar Shekau assumed leadership of the sect in 2009 following the death of Muhammed Yusuf and the situation degenerated beyond the capacity of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) thereby necessitating the deployment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to restore peace and order in the region.
“The efforts of the AFN over the 15 years of engaging in counter terrorism and counterinsurgency operations in the region have degraded insurgents to a large extent and brought about some significant restoration of peace and normalcy within the operating environment.
“Over the years, the various military operations conducted in the NE have transformed from Ops Restores Order, Boyona, Zaman Lafiya, Lafiya Dole to the current designation, Joint Tasks Forces (North East) Operation HADIN KAI” he stressed.
After leaving Theatre Commander, we paid a courtesy visit to the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, AGL Haruna who welcomed the media to the Div.
And moved to see LT Col A. Manu, the Commander Forward Operating Base (FOB) Magumeri were we toured Magumeri Community, FOB Chabbol community to witness first hand on how the military operations and work under stress to ensure the State and its citizens are secured against terrorists.
He also briefed the media on the activities of the FOB successfully recorded against the terrorist by conducting patrols, ambushes, sudden assaults, clearance operations equally the troops inflict maximum casualty among the Boko Haram terrorists among others, in order to give the enabling environment for other operations to continue.
LT Col A. Manu emphasized that FOB troops has continued to dominate its AOR with aggressive patrols and ambushes, with the strengths of relating between locals and armed troops and also liaise mostly with civilian JTF who have the knowledge of the ground, where they lead them to enclaves of the Boko Haram terrorists as they have been good allies in the fight against these terrorists.
According to him, with the information gathered from them, FOB troops encountered Boko Haram terrorists on Tuesday, where they were able to neutralize one of the terrorists and recover one AK-47 rifle.
“With information gathered from them, we consider the facts and the presence of armed troops to boost the confidence of civilian co-plans, thereby making them to go about their normal activities within the local government area.
“The calm operational activities have denied Boko Haram freedom of actions within Magumeri and its environment. Armed troops have conducted a number of patrols and ambushes along the logistic supply route within one AOR.
“Presently, a total number of series of operations have been conducted within the general area of our own AOR. And all the time, like yesterday or the day before yesterday, we had the encounter with the Boko Haram terrorists, where we were able to neutralize one of the terrorists and recover one AK-47 rifle. This is one of the activities that we’ve been conducting and its yearly results.
“We conduct checkpoint duties, which are along the road, in order to checkmate the SSEs of the suppliers and to fish out any other further infiltration into either the town or exit out of the town.
We also, based on information and intel, we conduct patrol and search operations. We have in the interland with the villages, we always have issues of kidnapping, banditry. The calm operational activities have denied Boko Haram freedom of actions within Magumeri and its environment.
“Armed troops have conducted a number of patrols and ambushes along the logistic supply route within one AOR. Most of the time, we recover a lot of the use of either handguns, some of them are splinters or break out of the Boko Haram terrorists, so they hibernates within the own AORs and inflict havoc or mayhem to the populace.
“However, we go after them by conducting patrols and we use in order to apprehend them. Now, a look at the threats analysis of our own AOR” he said.
“We had recorded modest successes during the operation and the stay of this FOB Maigumei by arresting illegal scav metal, repairing attack of banditry Boko Harams like Boko Haram ISWA terrorists, capturing of several Boko Haram vehicles, destruction of several Boko Haram vehicles and sphero firepower, successfully arrest informants of Boko Haram terrorists within own AORs, restoring public confidence through military-civil-corporate relationship and equally recovering of rustled cows and other animals that are being rustled by the bandits, destruction of Boko Haram motorcycles and their logistic supplies, arrest of suspected Boko Haram leader Mohammed Adamu who was arrested along the road by the guard on checkpoints, successfully conduct several clearance operations which deter the Boko Haram terrorists in encroaching into our own territories, construct of standard worship centers, that’s some of the achievement we make in order to make the troops who go out and fight spiritually, we have constructed the worship centers so that they will have that confidence in fighting the terrorists, maintenance of and close the housing of youths and vigilantes, we have interspersed weekly within the communities and the troops in this camp, that’s some of the things” he stressed.
The FOB Commander lamented that notwithstanding, this cannot deny the troops of recording successes against the terrorists considering the abrasive posture of the troops during day and night patrols.
