The Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Christopher Musa, has said the greatest challenge by the troops has been the use of Improvised Explosive Devices by terrorists.
According to him, the deplorable state of roads in the North East region had enabled terrorists to plant explosives, adding that bad roads were slowing down their operations.
Musa spoke in an interview with a North East-based security media outfit, Metro Watch.
He said, “The main challenge we are having now is the IEDs they plant on the way and run away. The roads have deteriorated over the years because they were not well constructed. If the roads are tarred, it will eliminate such threats against commuters totally.
“We have removed over 98 IEDs so far and are still counting. We are making do with hampholders to sort this lingering IED menace. You can imagine, between Maiduguri and Monguno is a distance of 180km and you will have to drop down to the ground intermittently to clear the road before continuing the journey. But if the roads are fixed, that would be eliminated completely. The government should just help us tar the roads.”
Speaking on the increasing population of the terrorists, he said, “I can tell you that over 11,000 fighters have surrendered. We have more than 20,000 kids fathered by them. And they have one system of increasing their population. They impregnate their wives four months after they have given birth without allowing them to wean the previous baby. This is a strange mentality to increase their population.”
He said the terrorists had no permanent base and nowhere to run to due to the various operations being embarked on by the military.
Musa stated, “We have uprooted them from all their strongholds. They don’t have permanent bases anymore. We have started Operation Desert Sanity while the Multi National Joint Task Force is conducting Operation Lake Sanity.
“Normally, when you strike here, they run to Niger, Chad Republic or one of those countries. But now, the MNJTF is making sure they are trapped while we make progress from here ensuring that they don’t have anywhere to run to.”
He also disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force Training School at Gwoza captured by the terrorists has been reclaimed.
Musa said factors like poverty, illiteracy, hunger among others, gave rise to terrorism in the country, urging the government to begin to address those issues.
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