By OKOSUN OKHUELEIGBE
The Nigerian Armed Forces has again warned to deal with all criminal elements masquerading as Boko Haram insurgents even as it assured of its commitment to rid the nation of all Shekau cohorts hiding under the strange religious ideology to kill innocent Nigerians.
Defence Headquarters declared that as far as the war against insurgency is concerned, they are not considering any particular person in the terror group to be of much relevant in the on-going onslaught against insurgency in the North East.
The Director, Defence Information (DDI) Col Rabe Abubakar said in Abuja on Tuesday that Shekau and any of his cohorts would not stop the military from carrying out massive operations any Boko Haram insurgents with a view to decapitating them.
According to him, “Shekau or any of his cohorts would not deter the spate of the military operations to rid the country of criminals hiding under strange religious ideology to kill innocent Nigerians.
“The Military viewed as irrelevant and fruitless effort the motive behind the recent audio clip presumably released by Shekau, the acclaimed leader of Boko Haram sects.
Col Abubakar, therefore, appealed to Nigeria not to lose sleep over the concocted audio rhetoric of the waning terrorist sect saying it was their “usual antic of a drowning person struggling to hold on to anything to remain afloat.”
He reiterated that the terrorists have been seriously decimated and the tremendous effort and achievement recorded in the recent times by the combined forces of the Nigerian Army and the Air Force was commendable.
While applauding the successes recorded in its counterinsurgency operations, the defence spokesperson added that the liberated communities in the North East, which, before recently, were under the throes of Boko Haram terrorists can now be visited or explored by interested Nigerians.
“The military want to re-state that in the recent times a number of Boko Haram members have been surrendering and denouncing radicalization. Our candid advice to Shekau or his ghost; cohorts or impersonators is to toll the line of their fellow comrades and surrender now as no more hidden place for him or his criminal gang to operate freely any longer.
“It is also necessary to tell those that are still masquerading as leadership of Boko Haram in whatsoever guise to quickly come to term with the fact that the era of cheap propaganda is over and in no distance time Nigerians and the whole world will know who is saying the truth.
While re-emphasising that Nigerians should ignore the video clips in circulation, pointed out that the military was working round the clock to rid the country of “devilish and anti-human group” calling on patriotic citizens to avail the force of any suspicious person or object for prompt action.