Following the Lt.-Gen. Tukur Baratai commendation on officers and men for the display of professionalism during the September 19 election in Edo.
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has charged the military to leave internal security during the next Saturday governorship election in Ondo State and concentrate more on counter-insurgency operation in the North East.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the combined Chief of Army Staff Quarterly Conference in Maiduguri, Borno State, yesterday, Zulum said he was a bit scared when the army chief mentioned the successes recorded by troops during the Edo poll and efforts to repeat same in the coming Ondo election.
“When the Chief of Army talked about the success story of Edo election and forthcoming Ondo poll, I was a bit scared because I want the attention of the military to be in the forefront fighting the insurgency,” he said.
He also asked the army to embark on confidence building and confidence sharing with the communities where they are currently carrying out various operations.
He urged the military to take the battle to Boko Haram and embark on what he called clinical clearance of Boko Haram remnants after every operation.
The governor commended the military on renewed vigour in the counter-insurgency operation in recent time.
On his part, The COAS said the military had done well in curtailing the activities of insurgents, armed bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers, as well as farmer-herder clashes and other crimes.
He urged the field commanders to sustain the tempo of operation to ensure the total decimation of all the inimical forces across the country.
According to Buratai, the Nigerian Army had done well in operation Lafiya Dole and the recently launched operation Sahel Sanity in the North West to rid the Katsina, Zamfara, corridors of marauding bandits.
