By Suleiman Umaru
President Muhammadu Buhari promise to crush the Islamic Fundamentalists, Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, appears to be on line as the United States manufacturer of Super Tucano fighter Jet are ready to make deliver the fighter Jets to the government on the orders of Donald Trump, the country’s President.
Garba Shehu, senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, disclosed based on assurance from the US, government , that the manufacturers would commence the delivery of the Super Tucano fighter Jets beginning from 2020. The fighter Jets which is fitted with advanced Avionics, electro optical, infrared. Laser targeting system, Communications data links would be deployed to the north eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe to checkmate terrorist activities in the flash point states.
This is bad news for the Islamic Fundamentalist, Boko Haram and the Islamic state of West African Province ISWAP, fighters, as they may no longer be able to stand the military in the region . This because the Super Tucano, is effective in this kind of kind of warfare all over the world.
Security experts believe that with the durability flexibility of the Super Tucano, designed for counter Insurgency and close air support roles, the terrorists group days are numbered.
As a prelude to the deployment of the Super Tucano fighter Jets to the flashpoint states Tukur Buratai, a Lt. General and Chief of Army Staff, CAS, had launched the ‘’Super Camps ostensibly to act proactively and respond quickly to the changing nature of the terrorism tactics.
The military Authorities may have also sent a signal to the Insurgents and Bandits in the north western states of Zamfara and Katsina, the President home state that their days are numbered with the unveiling of four Mine resistant anti- Ambush protected vehicles . The vehicles were said to have been designed and manufactured in the Nigeria by the Army Corp of Engineers with the Collaboration of Proforce Limited.
According to military sources, the anti-mine vehicles were manufactured locally to further enhance the fight against terrorism and Insurgency in the country.
Security experts believe that with the design and manufacture of the specialized vehicles, Buratai has successfully repositioned the Nigerian Army on the path of self- reliant and the drive to further develop indigenous production of military hardware.
The recent Lunching of the anti-mine ambush resistant vehicles may have convinced Gabriel Onisaki, a General and Chief of Defense Staff, CDS, that the fight against insurgency in the north east and other forms of Banditry in north west, are getting to an end
Buratai had revealed that with the successful manufacturing of the four anti mines Ambush vehicles, , which was the first in the country and the African Continent in General by the Army Vehicle Manufacturing Company,, it has already commenced mass production of other types of Armored Personnel carriers, MRAP, Mine Clearance System. Ballistic vests, military Combat boots, bullet proof vehicles, Ballistic helmets, protective jack boot and other military hardware. The CAS was said to have those cares to listen that MRAP vehicles will be inducted into the frontline in the north east in the fight against terrorist activities in the region. The Army my have been pushed to design and manufacture such indigenous anti-mines Ambush vehicles because of the sophisticated weapons used by the Insurgents in region. At present some of these military hardware are imported from the Asian country of China.
While the Army are making desperate efforts to bring the Insurgency in the north east, to an and end by going into production of military hardware to compliment the foreign weapon in their Arsenal, the terrorist groups, particular, ISWAP, may have made a bold Statement that they would never bow to the superior fir of the soldiers and the Multi-National Joint Task Force, MNJTF, as they were said to Killed 25 soldiers a military base in the fishing town of Baga , Borno state. The soldiers may have put up a strong resistance to kill no fewer than 50 of the fleeing terrorists who invaded the military base with the intention to cart away weapons.
Only recently, a United States based Wall Street Journal, reported that the Nigeria military maintains a secret graveyard of the soldiers killed in the hands of the Insurgents in the north east theatre of the Insurgency war. The report was so worrisome that Atiku Abubakar, a Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the last general election has challenged the Katsina state born Nigerian President to investigate the allegation to douse the tension created by the story.
But the military Authorities would take it as it had quickly responded to the publication. In apparent reaction to the report which many believed was intended to create disaffection in the country, the military Authority described it as a figment of an uninformed mind whose knowledge of military values and ethos is grossly misplaced. The alleged Cemetery mentioned in the report , according to the military Authority was an officially designated military Cemetery in Maimalari military Cantonment in the region.
The Management of the military Cemetery , according to sources has played host to several national and international dignitaries who had visited the site to see things themselves Many of them were said to have left the Cemetery satisfied that the Nigerian military has a strong tradition of paying the last respect in ‘’befitting military funeral of international standard and graveside decorations to fallen heroes.
Appealing to Nigerians to disregard the Wall Street journal report which was said to have been published out of bad intention, the military Authority had made it to those that cares to listen that Boko Haram had been defeated. They have created in the mind of Buhari, the Commander –In-Chief of the Armed Forces that the remnants of the Islamic Fundamentalist group , fugitive Criminals from Maghreb region and other West African countries are working closely together to carry out pockets of attacks in the region.
Recall that Shehu, the Presidential Spokesperson had alluded to this when he noted that the ‘’collapse of the Libyan state, the Islamic state of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, had provided ample opportunity for the trigger hungry mercenaries to have relocated to the ungoverned areas in the region for occupation and training of additional terrorists to sustain the insurgency in the north east. The is optimistic that with the Combined efforts of the military and the MNJTF, the Insurgent groups would be forced out of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, the three states in the north east where ungoverned Communities are repeatedly currently being attacked and defenseless civilians kill
