Boko Haram: We have intensified efforts to get Shekau – Army

The General Officer Commanding  Division, Maiduguri, Brigadier General Abdul Kalifa Ibrahim, has assured that the military has intensified effort to apprehend the dreaded Boko Haram leader, Shekau. “By the grace of Allah, we will be victorious,” he said.

General Ibrahim gave the assurance while speaking in an interview with the Voice of America (VOA), Hausa Service on Tuesday.

Speaking on the latest carnage along the Damaturu- Maiduguri road, the Army Commander said: “the truth is that people had moved freely without any problem but as I have told you, these insurgents engaged in guerilla warfare. But still, there are methods adopted by security agencies on that and by the grace of Allah, we will deal with that problem.”

He explained that a battalion had been stationed in that contentious axis near Mainok, while a headquarters was at Jakana to enable the military operatives in that location patrol the area and prevent the insurgents from committing their atrocities.

“It’s not that we lack working tools, we have, but we need more,” he said. When asked on the possibility of apprehending Abubakar Shekau, he said: “We are working on that and by the grace of Allah, we will be victorious.”

He debunked the idea that the Nigerian military only engaged in a defensive technique instead of a hot chase on the insurgents, saying “the truth is that we are doing our best. We do chase them, we traverse different camps searching for Boko Haram.”

“Just last week I assigned my soldiers from 21 Brigade to Bama. Although the guerrillas ran away, we found and destroyed their camp. We also rescued women and children from there,” he said.