Nigerian troops

Nigeria’s  Chief of defence staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, the chief of army staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai  and the defence minister, Colonel Muhammad Dan-Ali have all poured encomiums on Nigerians soldiers battling Boko Haram insurgents in the country’s north east.

It was at a Christmas party held in Damaturu, Yobe state to boost the morale of the troops.

The trio also  assured soldiers  of government’s commitment to provide the needed logistics to expeditiously end insurgency in the country.

Dan Ali acknowledged some of the challenges facing the operations and noted that most of the challenges were being addressed and also urged the troops to remain committed to the war against insurgency in the North East.

“While your welfare needs are being addressed, I urge you to continue to adhere to all the rules of engagement in your operations,” he said.

But he urged them to respect the rights of people in your host communities as “all your actions and inactions will be accounted for.”

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, commended the troops for their sacrifices.

He said their contributions in the defeat of terrorism would not be forgotten in a hurry.

Olonisakin, however, urged the troops not to relent in their efforts to effectively end the insurgency.

He said: “we are gradually moving into 2016, therefore, we must not rest on our oars to win the war.

“As we move into 2016 I want to enjoin you to be more determined to reclaim all lost territories, that is the charge and demand on all of you as we enter the New Year.

“On our part we will do our best to ensure that all logistics and welfare required to prosecute the war to a logical conclusion were provided,” he said.

Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff, said the visit of the defence minister would boost the morale of troops in the ongoing operation.

He noted that the situation in the troubled region has improved tremendously and attributed the feat to the sacrifices of the troops.

“The security situation has greatly improved and I want to congratulate the troops for a job well done.

“We are entering the New Year and I believe that we will start winding down to conclude the operation,’’ he said.

*Originally reported by TVC