SAN FRANCISCO, February 05, (THEWILL) –
The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, has revealed that Nigeria will consider the absorption of some members of civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) who are assisting the military in fighting Boko Haram into the armed forces.
Speaking on Monday at a town hall meeting for the military and security agencies in Maiduguri, Dan-Ali said the JTF members should however be qualified to be absorbed.
He said that no fewer than 30,000 women and children have been rescued from Boko Haram by the troops of operation Lafiya Dole in Sambisa Forest in the last two years insisting that the Nigerian military has recorded remarkable success in degrading Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.
“It is pertinent to state that the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and its air force component inflicted heavy casualty on the Boko Haram during the recent Operation Deep Punch II in Sambisa forest,” he said.
Dan-Ali said that the fighting troops were ever ready to confront Boko Haram, adding that no Nigerian territory was under the control of the insurgents.
He said that the troops had recently destroyed Shilka of Boko Haram terrorists and recovered many arms and ammunition and bomb making factory in the Boko Haram enclaves adding that the Air component of the operation had also bombed many Boko Haram camps and hideout thereby destroying their bomb artillery.
He said that regular visits to the fighting troops by the Minister of Defence and the Service Chiefs in the front line has also served as a morale booster to the troops further explaining that the ministry had also ensured timely disbursement of the troops welfare and allowances while those who overstayed in the battle field were rotated.
“Plans are on the way for the construction of 20 blocks of barracks accommodation under the ministry to eased problem of accommodation of personnel in Abuja,” he stated.
“Recently, the army also took in six newly acquired mine caterpillar used to demobilise explosives which had really eased their operations.”
