Boko Haram’s days are numbered -COAS •3 killed, 2 injured in another bomb blast in Maiduguri

THE Nigerian Army has assured Nigerians that it is equal to the task of bringing the menace of Boko Haram to an end and vowed that operations towards that end

will commence very soon.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Azubuike Ihejirika, who stated this in Abuja on Monday while answering questions from newsmen, after declaring open the second quarter conference of the Chief of Army Staff, said that the tactics they employed were relatively new to the country.

He said that having studied the method of operation, very soon the country would notice improvement and new security agreements.

Apparently referring to the presence of soldiers everywhere in the Federal Capital Territory, Ihejirika said that in an atmosphere of terrorism, the residents should be ready and able to bear a lot of inconveniences, as they were being proactive, while there would be searches on the road, Nigerians should be able to adapt to the temporary security measures.

He disclosed that one key agenda of the meeting, which was purely to apply security measures, will be a closed door meeting as General Officers Commanding (GOCs), will receive briefing on how to confront the menace of Boko Haram once and for all.

He added that the purpose of the conference was to take stock of the first and second quarter activities, especially in the area of security, as it affected various commands.

According to him, the meeting would also discuss ways of improving elections and also analyse areas of improvement.

In his welcome address, the Chief of Policy and Plans, Major-General O. Akinyemi, noted that the current security challenges, especially the problem of Boko Haram, in some parts of the country, were some of the contemporary challenges that needed to be immediately addressed.

He said that deliberations during the conference would come up with recommendations and strategies towards addressing these challenges.

General Akinyemi disclosed that the presentations and discussions during the first quarter conference, as well as the implementation of the decisions arrived at during the conference, contributed in no small measures to the successes achieved by the army in support of the election process, as it had received accolades from various quarters for its conduct during the elections.

Consequently, he added that some lessons must have been learnt, which could assist the army to improve in future internal security tasks.

In his remarks, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, noted that though the election was not perfect, they had learnt quite a number of lessons, adding that this would help them in preparing for future elections.

He said the future of democracy and democratic process in the country was bright, adding that all they needed was for all hands to be on deck to make it perfect.

While commending the army for an excellent job done during the election, the INEC chairman noted that there were few complaints of high-handedness, overzealous and partisanship.

“I must say that the report from the field indicated excellent preparations and conduct, as this election, compared to previous ones, has the best security arrangement during and after,” he said.

The INEC chairman added that, the next elections would be better organised, as there was enough time to prepare for them, which was not the case for the 2011 elections.

On the cause of the post-election violence, Professor Jega said that it could be attributed to crisis of expectations, as some people believed their candidate must win at all cost.

He added that the security agencies must continue to learn how they could relate more with civilians.

Meanwhile, contrary to media reports that three separate bomb blasts killed 25 people and injured many others at a local beer joint at Dala Kabamti ward of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, the security task force commander for the “Operation Restore Order” in Borno State, Major-General Jack Okechukwu Nwaogbo, told the Nigerian Tribune that he was physically at the scence of the incident along with the state deputy governor to ascertain the damage and confirmed that there was no bomb blasts at the joint where the people were killed.

According to him, “there was no bomb blasts at the local “Burkutu” joint at Dala Kabamti, but some gunmen, between 7.00 p.m and 10.00 p.m, came on seven motorcycles and started shooting at those drinking at the joint, killing many people.”

However, another fresh attack, on Monday, claimed three lives, with two others said to have been injured and taken to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).

The fresh attack, at Customs area of Maiduguri, occurred about an hour after the Joint Task Force (JTF) commander addressed newsmen on the Sunday attack.

Sources at the UMTH told the Nigeria Tribune that more than 11 people were taken to the hospital with varying degrees of injury when suspected members of the Boko Haram sect threw a bomb at the Customs House.

But, according to the JTF commander, General Nwaogbo, two traders were killed while two Customs officers were injured in the attack.

At the time of filing this report, shooting was ongoing at the Customs area.