We’ll get you, COAS warns sect
From MOLLY KILETE, Abuja
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

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The Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Azubuike Onyeabor Ihejirika yesterday assured Nigerians of the capability of Nigerian Army to bring the activities of members of the Boko Haram sect to a stop any moment from now.

Ihejirika who spoke at the opening of the second Chief Of Army Staff conference holding in Abuja, said the activities of the group which has resulted in the loss of innocent lives and property in some parts of the country in the last one year, is an opportunity for officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army to prove to the generality of Nigerians of its capability to adequately protect and defend the nation’s territorial integrity from external and internal aggressions.

The COAS, while noting that the bomb blast tactics implored by the group was relatively new to the country, announced that the army will use the opportunity of the conference to fashion out a lasting solution so that Nigerians can move freely and go about their lawful businesses without fear of being attacked by members of the group.

The army chief while assuring Nigerians to be calm as the army was on top of the situation, said, “I want to assure Nigerians that we are equal to the task. But as you are aware, we need to convince Nigerians beyond doubt of our capability and this is again the reason for this particular conference.

The Boko Haram menace and the tactics they implore are relatively new to the country and hence the need for this particular conference so that as commanders we will put our heads together and find out solutions. I am sure very soon the country will begin to witness improved security performance generally.”

Gen. Ihejirika, while stating that the two-day conference was aimed purely at discussing the current security situation in the country vis-a-vis the Boko Haram activities, told defence correspondents that “at the end of this meeting, we will come out with several decisions and I think during my press briefing on Wednesday,(tomorrow), we will give you highlights of some of the decisions. It is going to be a closed-door session because the issues we are tackling are issues bothering on security.

On the deployment of soldiers to man security check points in all the entry points into the Federal Capital, Ihejirika said the measure put in place is not limited to Abuja alone but that the army would extend same to other parts of the country.

The police chief made a comment like that and we all knew what happen,i hope it will not happen to the army chief.