Recent series of successes recorded by the Nigerian Armed Forces in the fight against terrorism and insurgency have been made possible by President Muhammadu Buhari’s deep knowledge and experience in asymmetric warfare, former Lagos State commissioner of police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav has said.
Tsav in an interview with our reporters in Abuja commended President Buhari and the armed forces of Nigeria for finally turning the heat against Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists at a time when many had given up on the possibility of defeating them.
He said the series of victories have restored peace in the Northeast and given the people hope that it remains a matter of time before the region would be permanently rid of the activities of the insurgents.
Making an assessment of developments at the Northeast, Tsav noted that any military operation that is won back to back must be as a result of careful planning and sophisticated strategies at the highest level.
He said those who are of the opinion that the current series of successes being recorded against the terrorists were mere happenstance should perish the thought as he explained that military expeditions and conquests do not come by happenstance but through thorough planning and rigorous execution of strategic plans.
Tsav took his time to educate Nigerians on what is happening in the Northeast saying people are not aware that it is the commander- in-chief of the armed forces who holds the coordinates that combine to determine the structure, approach, strategy and results on the battlefield.
This, Tsav said is the reason why every planning starts with the commander- in -chief while he is also briefed from time to ensure that the overall operation does not go out of his plan.
Tsav said in the case of Nigeria, President Buhari had had the privilege to observe what was going on at the Lake Chad region before he became President.
He said this, coupled with how the past administration was fumbling on the issue of security must have strengthened his resolve to do something sweeping enough to sack the terrorists and restore sanity to the country.
“You will recall there was a time during the last administration, when it was said that the insurgents named him as one of those to negotiate on their behalf.
“That was the height of insult on the experience, integrity and person of Buhari and when they saw that they couldn’t make a anything out of that attempt to blackmail him, he was almost killed while being driven in Kaduna,” he said.
The former commissioner of police said President Buhari has been a thoroughbred professional while in the army who can process an interprete sensitive security information in fractions of seconds.
“That was why the first thing he did on assuming office as president was to order a relocation of the military command to the theatres of war which began to yield results leading to the technical defeat of the insurgents and the retaking of all the 20 local governments areas the insurgents had overtaken in less than three months.
Tsav said the push button for Buhari which has continued to yield results is the identification of committed and devoted officers to man the three arms of the armed forces followed by the incentives given to the military high command to achieve the feat.
He said it is to the credit of Buhari that men like the chief of army staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai who not only are thoroughbred professionals but who understand the terrain were appointed.
Tsav said it is worth mentioning that this is the best time for Nigerian troops as they have regained the confidence of the people and the international community by the feat they have recorded in the last three months.
He said within the last three months since Gen. Buratai relocated to Northeast, it has been reported that no less than 700 of the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists including their top commanders have been silenced while large cache of their arms have either been seized or destroyed.
Said Tsav: “These are no means feats considering that the insurgents have been out there for more than 10 years and have acquired sophisticated weapons as well.
“The clinical efficiency with which the insurgents have been taken out shows clearly that there is superiority in tactics and strategies from the top and this is where I commend President Buhari, Buratai and all the service chiefs.”
Tsav called on all Nigerians to step out and make efforts to complement what President Buhari and the military are doing for lasting peace to return to the country and for meaningful development to be enhanced.