…As Military Reveals Plan to Withdraw Troops From Parts of Nigeria in 2020
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has disclosed that the new combat concept (super camp strategy) adopted by the force has been yielding results as troops now have a better understanding of the approach to tackle the myriad of security challenges confronting the country.
Buratai said that the decision to adopt the approach was based on the threat analysis and evaluation of the challenges that the troops encountered in operating along the conventional approach.
He said that all the operations and exercises of Nigerian army like OPLD, Harbin Kunama and exercise Crocodile Smile as well as Ayem Akpatuma and Atilogwu Udo, were being operated along with this concept of the super camp with the renewed zeal of the officers and soldiers, not only in the north east but across the country.
According to Buratai, the concept has completely changed the troops’ mode of operation, increased their confidence and gave them the ability to project and reach up to the terrorist’s hideouts and it has given more confidence to the people there.
On Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari met with service chiefs at the Aso Villa, Abuja, behind closed doors.
Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok Ekwe-Ibas who spoke with newsmen after the meeting said the Nigerian armed forces will commence the gradual withdrawal of troops from some of their security operations across the country from the first quarter of 2020.
Explaining the reason for the decision to end the operations in some parts of the country soon, the Navy chief said the council observed that the forces had done their best to stabilize the security situation in the affected areas.
“You will recall that the various operations in the country in the northeast, northwest, north central, the southeast, as well as the southwest where all members of the armed forces are taking part as well as the intelligence agencies, have ensured that we all enjoyed a better holiday period that has just been observed.
“We also recalled that in those areas where the military have been able to achieve desired objectives, from the first quarter of next year, the civil authority will be preparing to take back those responsibilities as the military draws back its forces from those areas to enable it force its attention on other emerging threats and areas of concern”, Ekwe-Ibas said.
The Nigerian army got engaged in the fight against banditry and kidnapping in Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina states through its operation Harbin Kunama in addition to the ongoing campaign against insurgency in the north east.
In the north east, the theatre command of Operation Lafia Dole (OPLD) achieved a commendable feat against the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists’ having been able to contain the activities of the terrorists by ensuring that no territory is under their control.
During the year under review, the army headquarters introduced the super camp concept to effectively counter the new style of laying ambush for troops and attack on bases by the insurgents.
The super camp concept which was initially opposed to by some stakeholders in the north east has yielded tremendous results in the counter-insurgency operation in the region.
According to a report by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), analysts have described the Boko Haram war in North-East as sabotage, ambushes and surprise raids on unsuspecting military targets, often fighting in their homeland and the use of their familiarity with the local landscape and terrain to their advantage.
Between September and December, the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists have suffered series of defeats from Nigerian troops leading to loss of lives of hundreds of terrorist and their equipment to the superior fire power of the troops.
Similarly, the launch of Operation Positive Identification in the north east had also led to arrest of many terrorists and their logistics suppliers as well as rescue of quite a number of persons including an octogenarian from the insurgent’s captivity.
