Nigeria to acquire modern tech. to fight Boko Haram – Chief Army

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Tukur Buratai said on Tuesday that the Federal Government (FG) is currently into acquisition, installation and application of modern technologies in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorist group in the country.

He said the development was made possible through the federal government collaboration with the United States of America, Isreal, United Kingdom, Jordan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He added that these countries are also helping regarding capacity building for personnel of the Armed Forces.

The Army Chief did not, however, disclose the categories of technologies that are being acquired to defeat insurgency in the Northeast of the country.

Lt. General Buratai made the remarks at the opening ceremony of a Four-Day International Seminar on Managing Asymmetric Security Challenges in the 21st Century at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja.

He also announced that the Nigerian Army under his leadership in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force, has substantially degraded the Boko Haram terrorist group.
He lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for providing the needed resources to the Armed Forces in the fight against terror.

According to Gen. Buratai the armed forces would continue to invest in capacity building for its personnel to enable them update their skills and fine tune their knowledge particularly as the world is currently challenged by emerging security threats.

Buratai said: “ Let me observe that the array of participants in this seminar which cuts across members of of the academia, military and other security actors both from within and outside Nigeria clearly shows the seriousness and concern we accord the issue of managing asymmetric security challenges in particular and world peace in general.

“Let me at this point commend the Nigerian Army Resource Centre for taking this bold step to translate an idea earlier conceived by me into reality.

“This forum is important as it will accord our nations the opportunity to re-think and re-strategize on the best approach from shared experiences to confront the challenges posed by asymmetric warfare in the 21st century as exemplified by insurgency, terrorism and other strategies used by adversaries to undermine constituted authorities”.

Buratai emphasized that achieving success in tackling the emerging global security threats remains a collective responsibility, and urged participants to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the seminar to exchange ideas, information and knowledge.

The Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali who was represented by the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Abayomi Olonisakin, while declaring the seminar opened, described the seminar as timely, noting that the army by hosting the seminar has demonstrated its growing understanding of the complexities of managing contemporary security challenges.

“This is particularly against the backdrop of our recent experience in responding to the Boko Haram terrorist led insurgency in the northeast and the grievances induced militancy in the Niger Delta.

“It is pertinent to say that managing these challenges revolve around the intricate interplay of hard and soft power”, the Minister stated.

Among the countries participating in the seminar are Bangladesh, Cameroun, India, Mali, Niger, Pakistan, United Kigdom and the United States of America.

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