INTERVIEW: HOW WE FINISHED BOKO HARAM IN NIGERIA -Defense Spokesman Abubakar

That Boko Haram Insurgence is becoming the thing of the past in a country hitherto ravaged by the sect is not an over statement. SECURITY MONITOR in this exclusive interview with BRIGADIER GENERAL RABE ABUBAKAR, Director of Defense Information, DDI was exposed to the underlining factors that led to the success story recorded by the Nigerian troops at rooting out Boko Haram. Born on 7 April 1965, the Defense Image Maker was very accommodative and exhibits a unique pleasant disposition uncommon of a soldier while hosting SECURITY MONITOR’s team led by Managing Editor WALE ABIDEEN, Director of Strategy ORU LEONARD and Defense Correspondent EMMANUEL DAUDU HULLEJI. Hails from Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State, Abubakar obtained Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and was later commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1989.

Since commissioning, the gallant and highly intelligent General has held several Command and Staff appointments some of which include; Coordinator Joint Media Centre at the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force Operation in the Niger Delta, Commandant Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information (NASPRI) Lagos and the Executive Director Corporate Affairs, Nigerian Army Welfare Limited.

He has also attended several courses including Company Amphibious Course and National Defense College, China. His hobbies include Jogging, Badminton and reading; caught unprepared but did justice to all questions asked at his Defense Headquarters’ Office in Abuja; General Abubakar’s view about Nigeria’s security system is highly informative and didactic…

THE NIGERIA MILITARY HAS BEEN IN WAGGING WAR AGAINST INSURGENCY ESPECIALLY SINCE THE EMERGENCE OF PRESIDENT MUHAMODU BUHARI AND SO FAR CERTAIN SUCCEESSES HAVE BEEN RECORDED. AS THE IMAGE MAKER OF THE DEFENCE HEADQUARTERS CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE THESE SUCCESS STORIES WITH US?

Before I start, I welcome you to Defense Headquarters especially to the Directorate of Information. The issue you just raised is a wide spattered and it requires a lot of time to explain this.

However let me begin with the new leadership. President Muhammadu Buhari in his wisdom in his inaugural speech directed the military to relocate to north east. The relocation of the military headquarters to Maidiguri has so many advantages, few of which I’m going to mention now. The relocation has made it easy for ease of communication, ease of administration, and equally ease of command and control in the area of fighting insurgence. Since relocation to Maiduguri, the whole battle changed, there so many local governments areas that are hitherto under the control of Boko Haram sect. But as I speak with you now there is no single parcel of land that the Boko Haram terrorists still host their flag to show the control of such areas apart from the Zambisa forest which is a very vast portion of land covering over 6000sq kilometer.

Grammatically , the relocation has equally afforded us the opportunity to reappraise the operation itself and since then till now there has been records of successes in the fight against the terrorists .Some of the reasons behind these successes are purposeful leadership, what I mean is that you get military leaders that are professional, military leaders that know what to do to their subordinates, professional leaders that give guidance on the conduct of the operation down from strategic point to the operational and up to tactical level. I believe if I say these military leaders were always with the troops in the front lines, it is also as good as you as the leader (referring to the Editor of SECURITY MONITOR) you are also here in the front line guiding your reporters, directing them and to experience the joy and pains they are going through that is why I brought in the issue of purposeful leadership.

Another factor which has brought us where we are positively is the injection of new platforms, new equipment, new arsenals that you need to fight terrorists and gorilla group. These are tremendous to hold the atmosphere. I believe you must have been abreast of what used to happen in the past, situation where troops abandon locations and run away because of lack of adequate equipment. The story of the military not being able to meet up to the expectation of the citizens on the battle field is now resolved and it happened on the account of the commitment of the current leadership and equally the current military commanders. A lot of equipment has been injected, a lot of commitments have been dedicated, and the precision equipment which has the capacity and capability of ministering target and hitting the target was out coursing collateral damages to the insurgence in the past few months were demonstrated by the air force. The issue of training equally play a very significant role, you are aware that before all our trainings were conventional method or tactic and you can’t use it to fight guerilla warfare like the one we are experiencing as such there must be a paradigm shift in the training itself but because we have leaders who are professionals they had now introduced more trainings to accommodate counter terrorism and counter insurgency and that is what we are doing now. We have so many schools on counter training terrorism and insurgency, we have one in the north central, and one in the north east .Dramatically this has availed us the successes recorded and that is why troops abandoning their locations and run away are not there any longer. We have understood the training requirements and the need to contend with the activities of the insurgence and terrorism.

PLEASE LET TALK ABOUT THE WELFARE OF THE TROOPS IN THE BATTLE FIELD?

We have reviewed the welfare package of the troops on the war front. It is very important in the act of war. It propels the troops and all the men to be committed to what they are doing. Before , there was serous complaints about nonpayment of this and that but now the story has changed, troops are receiving their payment at when due, as a matter of fact we pay in advance even as other welfare are introduced in the system now. We have Nigeria army welfare scheme, life insurance and other benevolent fund, Nigeria welfare and insurance scheme, soldiers families are being compensated when dead. We also have education fund where the children of the demised soldiers and officers are sponsored from primary to secondary school, but not many individuals know about it and we also try as much as possible to be very mindful of the pains the military profession is all about risk. Anyone you see in the military is like he or she has sold his life to the nation; issue of comfort, enjoyment is no more there. You sacrifice more especially during crisis just as what we are experiencing now. So whatever the government gives to us is not enough compare to the sacrificing one’s life.

However, we have gotten leaders who are careful and caring equally and considering welfare as one of the cardinal objectives of keeping the troops in a high spirit. We also have over four logistics backups. It is like assigning someone and giving the person the tools to execute the job. Honestly speaking, the work is as good as done and it will be accomplished in a very successful manner. So, the combination of all these metamorphosed to the successes we are recording against the terrorism and I believe that all Nigerians or most Nigerians to be economical, know that the forces have what worth wiping out Boko Haram terrorists. We are saying this against the background that the Boko Haram we know yesterday is not the same as the Boko Haram of today. They are not capable of wagging formidable attack on any town or village in Nigeria again. They are on the run for their lives; all their logistics supplies and sources have been blocked and are completely out of stock meaning they don’t have what to sustain them like food and ammunitions. Also, they completely lack the freedom of movement, freedom of wagging any formidable attack and are now on the run.

WHAT ABOUT THE CAPTIVES IN THEIR CUSTODY?

We have rescued over 10,000 captives from the Boko Haram sect. We rescued victims on daily basis we go on operation and just last week we rescued 300 in one day and 80 in the following day, within the same week and the instruments which they use in providing explosives were dismounted as a result of information sharing, intelligence through the head of Air Task Force that control the JTF .

HOW SURE ARE YOU ON THE END TO BOKO HARAM ACTIVITIES IN NIGERIA?

It is not hidden. It is visible that Boko Haram has come to their end. And I am assuring the citizens and the international communities that the force will continue efforts to make sure that the Boko Haram is on their knees and would never come up again .The situation on daily basis would be stabilized soon.

IS THERE ANY OTHER FEAR OR CHALLENGES AS THE WAR PROCEEDS?

The minor challenges we are facing is the terrorist attack at night as they are looking for food to sustain their livelihood and run back to the bush. Just last two weeks, we were able to identify the location where they are praying and a lot of them including their commanders were killed. A few who escaped from the attack relocated to any place about 6km we also located and ponded the place and were killed too. With all these efforts, there is no room to hesitate fear about Boko Haram again.

PLEASE SHED MORE LIGHT ON THE ROLE OF NEIGBORING COUNTRIES IN THE WAR AGAINST BOKO HARAM?

The coming on board of President Buhari marked the end of Boko Haram. He initiated a collaborative scheme with the neighboring nations as he does know that fighting terrorism is not a national thing alone but an international struggle. The sect is a group that has no ethics, it has no bound. The president went on consultation and finally did what he did by forming the Multi-National Joint Task Force, MJTF. The Headquarters is in Chad and some neighboring countries contribute troops which Nigeria is a leading contributor anyway. The task force is working very hard to make sure that there is no exit and entry root by the Boko Haram. So, in essence there is a holistic strict arrangement that would ensure the Boko Haram are contend within certain location of Zambisa and that is what we are doing and do it tactically to ensure that when we are heating them and only them to suffer it and no other persons. This led us to crack down operation which is a clearing operation against the Boko Haram terrorists. we are anticipating it to be the last best operation and so far so good we have been in Zambisa forest for months now and have being deploying arsenals to make sure they get to where they are and that is what we are doing .

On the other hand the Multi-national Task Force works simultaneously and the essence is to contend and clear the ruminant Boko Haram because the military mount pressure on them and many of them are surrendering. As I speak with you we have 1,500 Boko Haram members who have surrendered and they did not surrender for surrendering sake but the joint efforts of the land forces and the Air troops forced them to do so.

There are also other initiatives ,bilateral level earth and unilateral level earth and nations coming together to energize us and we appreciate that but the core fighters are Nigerians and I believe so far so good that we don’t need to blow our trumpet that we have finished Boko Haram by the grace of God

YOU WERE AT THE NORTH EAST WHEN THE INSURGENCE WAS AT ITS PEAK AND YOU HAVE BEEN THERE IN RECENT TIMES WHEN PEACE IS TAKING ITS POSITION. HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE THE MOOD OF THE PEOPLE THEN AND NOW?

That is a very good question; there is no need for comparison because you can’t compare stability with instability. The period at which the Boko Haram was at its peak can only be described as an era in animal kingdom where might is right because they are holding weapons and an upright person sees it as it can’t happen but it does where humans are subjected to inhuman treatment , loss of dignity and human right completely relegated to the background where children and parents at times slaughtered, where people cannot come out and have a feel of the natural air, where people are completely made to remain indoor. This is just short of what the period was all about. But now the story has changed as people freely move doing their legitimate activities, people now sleep outside to enjoy fresh air. The people in the area never thought they could gain such freedom again in their lives time. All these have nothing to do with religion and anyone who says or does demonizes, kills, rape, and says its religion. Well, I don’t know the kind of religion it is. The two major religions in the country however never preached such but rather preach love, the need to respect human dignity and human lives but what the Boko Haram did was to completely convince everybody and religion disharmony.

I’m a Muslim and I listen to preaching of pastors and have not heard that such should be perpetrated. According to my Quran which I read very well, you would dwell in hell fire for ever if you take human life unjustly. So, where do they get the sermon that killing will take them to heaven? It could be a misrepresentation of the religion itself or complete ignorance.

GIVING THE SIZE OF ZAMBISA FOREST, IT IS POSSIBLE TO COMB THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES OF THE FOREST KNOWINGFULLY WELL THAT IF WE DON’T THEY MAY USE IT TO LAUNCH ATTACKS ON THE COUNTRY IN THE NEAREST FUTURE?

We will do our best, that is why when people talk anyhow and use their mouth to run down the military I just look at them with surprise. However, the discouraging part is when the highly Placed people make unnecessary comments on security issues. To me it seems they are not Nigerians, it is only when you are alive that you can think of food or contesting for an election. So, the military has done everything to reserve the nation and that is what we are doing in north east. It should be of note that what happens to one Nigerian has happened to all Nigerians either joyful or otherwise and that is how a country can remain united. What has happened had happened and we must all united against terrorism just like the jingles ,everyone should contribute his or her own quota to ensuring that terrorism do not raise its ugly head and I know we have taken capacity to do that and issue of information is extremely important . Terrorism by its nature has no identity.

DO YOU THINK SOME OF THE EX BOKO HARAM MEMBERS WHO ARE SET TO JOIN THE NIGERIA FORCES WILL NOT CONSTITUTE SECURITY THREAT IN THE NEAREST FUTURE?

No, they will be identified. Some who were planning to join in recent past were apprehended through the synergy of the DSS. That shows how united we are by preventing them from joining the force by all means and if they think they can escape they are deceiving themselves because we have a device that can detect them wherever they are.

ARE CHIBOK GIRS STILL ALIVE?

It is a very important issue and we share the pains with the parents of the school girls. Imagine putting yourself in the shoes of the parents and you will understand how painful it is. Therefore, we have set agenda of operation been that there is no information about the Chibok girls does not mean we are not working towards their rescue. It is not everything we do that has to be made opened. There is certain information that is limited to only a specific class because of its security implication. So we are mindful of this even as all Nigerians. We appreciate groups that campaign for the release of the girls, but at the same time should acknowledge what the security agencies are doing to ensuring their rescue. I can’t see any campaign group moving to Zambisa forest while the soldiers who spent two years without setting eyes on their families and somebody who is in Abuja, kaduna, Lagos or elsewhere in his air condition talking what he or she could . It is very discouraging, we are not saying that they should not protest but should be done within the compass of nationalism, compass of consideration and acknowledgement of our giant strides.

HOW DO YOU THINK THE JOURNALISTS LAWYERS AND CORPORATE ORGANISATIONS CAN COME TO THE AID OF THE ARMY FORCES?

In the event of national crisis like the war against insurgence and terrorism political live, social live and any others energy must be directed to the ending of it because without peace nothing can be achieved. The problem of Boko Haram is not the crisis of the north east but a national issue that needs a collaborative effort. If you think you are not in the north east and you so believe that you are not affected you are just deceiving yourself hence your nationality is Nigeria, we all should unit and by that we all can grow.

Finally the issue of politicizing the security issues is a danger to national security; no country that politicize security and survive. We are given the opportunity to make some of the things we are doing public and as such it must be within the compass of the constitution .we please urge everyone to contribute by giving us timely information. We also promise not to exceed our role of engagement to make sure that we are one strong Nigeria, I also believe that the crisis is preparing us to be a one giant nation in future.