Unable to meet 40-day deadline, Army Chief Buratai extends order to capture Shekau, indefinitely

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai has granted a request by the Theatre Commander, Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru, for an extension of the 40 days deadline to capture leader of the terrorist group, Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau dead or alive.

According to a statement by Brigadier General Sani Usman, Director Army Public Relations, Nigerian Army, Buratai commended Brig. Gen. Attahiru, his Sector Commanders and all troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE “for pursuing the COAS directive of capturing the purported Boko Haram terrorists leader, Abubakar Shekau dead or alive within 40 days beginning from 21st July 2017 which elapsed on 30th August 2017.

“Although the leader has not been captured, the COAS noted with satisfaction the zeal and determination with which the directive was pursued.

“The Theatre Commander has asked for the extension of the deadline and it has been granted by the COAS”, Usman stated.

No date or time frame was however specified within which to carry out the new deadline.

Usman, however noted, that “given deadlines and extensions are strategic means of focusing troops’ efforts in the theatre. Currently the main thrust of the operations is the decapitation of all the remaining terrorists factions within the Nigerian territory”.

The COAS was also said to have congratulated the Commander for eliminating five key leaders of the terrorists group that were the closest associates and right hand men of the terrorists group leader.

Read also: Shekau still elusive, as Army announces death of 5 Boko Haram commanders

He also noted, that within the same period 82 of the Boko Haram terrorists were eliminated, meaning, the Commander was very close to achieving the directive.

According to the Nigerian Army chief, with this feat achieved, the relevance of Shekau is no longer of any consequence, and urged the people of the North East and indeed all Nigerians to be more confident of the Nigerian troops and go about their normal activities.

In a related development, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has ordered for the complete clearance of Sambisa Forest.

He gave the order on Friday while hosting the Air Component members of Operation Lafiya Dole at its Yola Flight Line to mark this year’s Eid-el Kabir celebrations.

He stated that this had become necessary in order to forestall attempts by the Boko Haram insurgent group to carry out further attacks against Nigerians.

He said, “Very clearly, Boko Haram has been substantially degraded, they cannot function as an organised fighting force. There’s not a single local government in the North-East that is totally under the control of the insurgents.

“But, the isolated incidents of attacks, kidnappings and suicide bombings by the group are a setback and this is not good for us. Therefore, we must redouble our efforts to make sure that we cleanse the forest before they even come out to do harm.

“I believe that by the time we finish them up in the forest, they would not be engaged in these acts.”

Abubakar, however called on members of the terrorist group to surrender now while they still have the chance as the government was willing to accept them.

Failure to do this, he warned that they would be destroyed in their hideout in the forest as he had ordered his men to redouble their efforts to ensure the complete clearance of Sambisa Forest.

 

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