By Suleiman Umaru
The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, appears to have fully entered into the war to flush out the Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, insurgents , in the north eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, thus giving the Insurgents a cause to worry.
The Insurgent may have relaxed that fortified Command and Control center at Dusula located at the fringes of the Sambisa forest , Borno state , would difficult to locate by the military.
It may not have occurred to Abubakar Sadiq, an Marhall, led Nigeria Air Force, NAF, could carry out Intelligence Surveillance and reconnaissance activities in the area. Unknown them, the Air Marshall led NAF, operation Green Sweep 3, mandated to identify and destroy the Insurgents position in the region have carried out series of Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnance, ISR, mission, to locate their training Camps in the forest.
The identification of the Dusula Command and Control center of the Islamic fundamentalist group, Boko Haram, may have emboldened the Air Force Special force, to destroy the Position.
Ibikunle Daramola, an Air Commodore and the NAF Spokesperson opined that with the identification of the l center, the NAF, Operation Green Sweep 3 , went into action as they carried out heavy air bombardment of the area leading to the destruction of their solar panels, which provides electricity in them , thus throwing the who place into darkness. The air bombardment, according to Daramola, was also facilitated the destruction of the Communication equipment and other facilities at the Center , which may have thrown the Insurgents into Complete disarray.
Note that the Dusula Command and Control center, may have been one of the strongholds of the leadership of the BokoHaram and ISWAP groups, to plan their attacks on military bases in Borno state and ungoverned Communities in the north ewast. Given the destruction of the Insurgent’s Command and Control center at Dusula, Sadiq, the Air Force Chief , has vowed that they would intensify their aerial bombardment of the terrorists locations in the region to pave way for Tukur Buratai, a Lt. General and Chief of Army Staff ground , troops to move in and take over the liberated Camps.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who is currently holidaying in Daura, his home town, to celebrate the Sallah is not happy that the BokoHaram war had dragged this long despite all the efforts that had been put in by the country’s Soldiers and the multi-National Joint Task Force, MNJTF, over the last four years.
Describing ‘’ extremism in Islam as a Cancer which must be detected and destroyed from its stages of growth’’, the Katsina state born Nigerian President contended that ‘’violent extremism is remains the major challenge facing Muslims in different parts of the world today.
He noted that the only way is to ‘’neutralise the influence of the extremist preachers ‘’ and ensure that that innocent people distance themselves from such activities and teaching of those who preach discriminate violence . He believes that the activities of the Islamic Fundamentalists are giving the Islamic Faith a ‘’bad name and must be curbed’’.
Garba shehu, Senior Special Assistan to the President on Media and Publicity, had made it clear to those that care to listen that the delivery of the Super Tucano Jet fighters by the United States Manufacturers to Nigeria would finally seal the hope of the Islamic extremists from operating in the north east.
Shehu noted that the Combat Jet Manufacturers may have delayed delivery despite the approval that had been given by Donald Trump to the Company to expedite work on it , blaming it to the terms of Contract. According to him, the order for supply of military weapons is not something a country pays for and expect to get it immediately . He noted that for such military arsenals to be manufactured , it requires a long time orders and must be delivered in accordance with the terms of the contract.
He is optimistic that given the assurance by the Company , the Super Tucano Jet fighters and other weapons ordered by the government to Combat Boko Haram fighters in north east would be delivered to the country between now and 2020 to further give a boost to the military fighting skills.
Note that the propeller driven- plane has reconnaissance , Surveillance and fast track facilities which may pose a great threat to the Insurgents stand their ground to confront the soldiers any longer. A security source disclosed that the government had already paid for supply of the fighter Jets which would be fitted with adequate Communication facilities, which would be delivered with bombs and rockets .
This is in addition to supply of weapons and the services of the aircrafts. The cost of the 12 Super Tucano fighter jets , bombs and rokets including other weapons ordered and the services the fighter Jets was put at about $400 million. The Katsina born Nigerian President was said to have given approval for the full payment of the supply military arsenals in order not to give room for the US Manufacturers to delay the delivery date, an indication that the Insurgents are in trouble.
The Presidential Media Aide who could not hide his feelings said the Buhari Administration had successfully tamed the Insurgents in the last four years. He insists that there is nothing like Boko Haram Insurgents in Nigeria any longer. , noting that what we have now as BokoHaram Insurgents is a mixture of the remnants of the extremists , fugitive criminals in from Maghreb region and and other African terrorists bonding together. He attributed the Collaboration between the African terrorists to the collapse of the Libyan state and the Islamic state of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.
Given a further insight r to the activities of the Insurgents in the country, the Presidential Midia Aide , averred that the Insurgents had taken advantage of the nation’s porous Sahelian borders to penetrate the country. He may have alluded to the Al-Shabaab fighters of the East African country of Somalia and their extremist Collaborators in the West African country of Mali. He is optimistic that that the military would sill defeat the ISWAP and the remnants of their BokoHaram Collaborators in the north east.The service Chiefs , at a recent meeting with the President at the Preisential Villa , had briefed him about their efforts to ensure total security in the country. But Wole Soyinka, the Bobel Laureate winner would not believe that the Various security agencies have given a good account o the huge amount of money spent by the government to equip and train their personnel as he had had advised the President a ‘’ Security Emergency in the Country.’’. The declaration is expected will give him the emergency powers to deal with the security situation of the country decisively .
Last Saturday, Alpha Conde , the Guinean President visited his Nigerian counterpart ,at Daura, last. It could not be ascertained why he had visited him during the Sallah Holiday.
