CDS talks tough as Boko Haram hits COAS’ village

On a day the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Major-General Abayomi Olonisakin, unveiled an agenda aimed at bringing to an end the menace of the Boko Haram sect, suspected members of the terrorist group on Tuesday burned down houses, including the family home of the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Major-General Tukur Baratai.

A policeman, military source and witnesses told Reuters, that at least two people were killed and eight injured in Buratai, Borno State, but General Baratai was not present at the time of the attack in the early hours of Tuesday.

Addressing officers and men after taking over from former CDS, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Olonisakin, vowed that specific timelines would be set by the forces to cripple insurgency and give the nation a new lease of life.

Describing insurgency as one of the greatest challenges facing the nation, the new CDS vowed that no effort would be spared in confronting the monster and putting it into the dustbin of history.

To defeat the enemy and put the nation at rest, the CDS revealed that Defence Headquarters would henceforth provide the needed leadership, direction and coordination of the military efforts.

He said: “We will therefore be proactive in providing the very necessary strategic direction and support for implementation by the Services in order to achieve the desired end-state in the counter- insurgency and other operations in the country.

Read also: Arrest Boko Haram, not opposition, Fayose tells FG

“We will set specific timelines and milestones to be achieved; look at gaps in the ongoing efforts and do all that are needful, with the support of government, to address these gaps especially in the areas of actionable intelligence, logistics, communication and other critical equipment.

“We also need to improve the existing collaboration with other security agencies, especially in the areas of intelligence gathering. We must explore every available means to obtain real-time and actionable intelligence in all our operations”, he said.

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