Temidayo Akinsuyi,Lagos

Chief Olabode George, a former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday said there is no way the Federal Government can win the war against insurgency in the country except it adopts a new strategy which will also help in confronting the growing insecurity challenges.

Speaking with Daily Independent, George, a retired Commodore and ex-military administrator, said Nigeria is fighting guerilla warfare which nobody has won in any part of the world.

Also speaking on calls for sacking of service chiefs, George said while the law states that officers should leave the force after attaining the retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of service, it is wrong to assume that sacking them will bring an end to Boko Haram insurgency in the country.

“On the issue of service chiefs, I left the military about 30 years ago. The law that I know, the commander-in-chief can hire and fire them. He appoints them, he also has the capacity to fire them. 35 years of service or 60 years of age, those are the two conditions. Once you hit one first, then you should go.

“I don’t know how long these service chiefs have served but we are making it look as if it’s a matter of throwing them away that will resolve the Boko Haram crisis. The hood doesn’t make the monk. That kind of insurgency, the war that is going on is a like a guerilla warfare. Nowhere in the world have they fought guerilla warfare and somebody wins or somebody loses.

“I was a Weapons Systems Officer in the Navy. I went to the United States War College and I taught at our own War College here. The Boko Haram is very unconventional and nobody will win it. Those people you are fighting have the same physical structure like those who live in the North-East. They look alike, they speak the same language, wear the same cap.

“So, how do you open your fire at them? They will come in the daytime like anybody else and there is no way you can differentiate who is Boko Haram or not. They mingle with the crowd and at that time, they are surveying you and in the night they strike. As a soldier, do you fire anybody you see? Because the rules of engagement will be well defined.”

George also called on the Federal Government to urgently put in place a high powered panel to interface with the Boko Haram sect, saying, “They are also Nigerians.”

“There is need for a dialogue. Do you know how long America has been in Afghanistan? Even the Russians came there but ran back. In Germany, they are now discussing with the Talibans. Americans with all the powers and technology they have, they have not been able to win that war. They are even setting an army up now in outer space.

“Let us jaw-jaw. It is not about buying of equipment because those guys also have sophisticated weapons. It is not a shame to dialogue with them, they are Nigerians.

“We can get the United Nations or African Union to get a committee of leaders who will call for a dialogue between the government and insurgents. Check the Vietnam War, how did it end? Check the one that happened in Bangladesh; nobody wins. I hope they go to their tactical table to come up with solution.

“From my own knowledge of military affairs, Nigeria cannot win the war against Boko Haram. What differentiates these Boko Haram insurgents from the locals? Unless the one you caught red handed wearing bombs. They are the same”, he said.
https://www.independent.ng/why-nigeria-cant-win-war-against-boko-haram-bode-george/

I don't listen to ex-convicts

I thought they said it was because Jonathan and PDP shared the money budgeted to buy weapons

Can you Swear that your father was not an ex-convict?

StreetFight:
I don't listen to ex-convicts

Mr Tewonde...

Why is it hard for good messages to come from Nigeria opposition?

All they wish for the same country they plan to rule in the future is evil.

Pdp and her supporters are definition of Yeyelity

Buhari = Terrorist

You can decimate terrorists, you cannot defeat them so quickly. The only terror organization that has ever been completely crushed was the Tamil Tiger in Sri Lanka and it existed for decades. It's unfortunate but that's just the truth.

This is the 'only' solution to the Boko haram issue, "Boko haram" is an 'ideological war' that cannot be won on the battlefield alone. Instead of setting up an agency to 'reform' members, our government needs to first set up agencies to prevent recruitment of new members and rescue of 'redeemable' members because I am sure many of them joined out of fear and intimidation.......

How can he win when they are fighting themselves?







Do you know I give cheap loans?

hisexcellency34:
I thought they said it was because Jonathan and PDP shared the money budgeted to buy weapons

Buhari did not come to rule . He came for total islamizatioñ of Nigeria. Those service chiefs he refused to change despite out cry, are up to something.......

Marine54:
Buhari did not come to rule . He came for total islamizatioñ of Nigeria. Those service chiefs he refused to change despite out cry, are up to something.......

Educated illiterate

Sure, but one can seek foreign assistance

Sirjamo:
You can decimate terrorists, you cannot defeat them so quickly. The only terror organization that has ever been completely crushed was the Tamil Tiger in Sri Lanka and it existed for decades. It's unfortunate but that's just the truth.

I will be in the forefront.


I will defeat boko haram in 6 months.


I will I will I will I will .....

I am speechless

Is this Hitler or Jubril?

Dabronzepost=86908845:
I am speechless

Realli

As long has they keep bringing back terrorists as rehabilitated people, the war against bokoharam will remain a charade and a wild goose chase.

A terrorist deserves forgiveness from God and not from man.

Get Applications and Websites for as low as 20,000 naira

This is kinda correct

helinues:
Mr Tewonde...

Why is it hard for good messages to come from Nigeria opposition?

All they wish for the same country they plan to rule in the future is evil.

Pdp and her supporters are definition of Yeyelity

Is pdp that sent terrorist to kill people in the home state of the president and butcher traveller's in borno.

I don't no why a man in power will never think well to fight for himself.

Sakamaje

Even NATO failed in Afghanistan. USSR failed there too. Assymetrical warfare is difficult to win, the middle east has become a grave yard for NATO troops. But that's not an excuse for Nigerian military not to upgrade their equipments, intelligence gathering efforts and fighting tactics.

We don't need excuses now.
Bubu Promised us.
Made it look like Jonah was dragging his feet when he didn't even know the extent of their reach. Now he has turned into one of em sympathizers.

Thinking PMB is military, one would say he can combat this menace.
GEJ a civilian was able to a large extent handle this fools called book haram.

I'll still say it. If it was Obasanjo chai.. Lemme comment my reserve

Oga calm down we are days away from defeating BH
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/02/buratai-to-troops-we-are-days-away-from-finally-defeating-boko-haram-iswap-terrorism/

Serious. If boko harams are so tactical, then it means they need a high level of military intelligence to flight them, the soldiers can also disguise as civilians and investigate boko haram members among them, with the cooperation of locals and some community heads, they can fish out the culprits and push them back to sambissa forest to finish them there. This is why I like the south west Yoruba's, they know who is a thief among them, and once one person is aware, then everybody is aware, because Yoruba's like gossiping