President Muhammadu Buhari has honoured his pledge to crush terrorist organisations like Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province, according to Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, the former Chief of Army Staff.
In a conversation with the media in Abuja, Buratai made this statement. He claimed that at his inaugural address on May 29, 2015, the president had pledged to defeat terrorist organisations.
However, the former COAS argued that it was incorrect to believe that defeating the Boko Haram militants would bring a stop to all hostilities.
All hostilities, he claimed, would end only when terrorist organisations consented to renounce their ideologies, support democracy, uphold the national constitution, and maintain a commitment to peace.
According to Buratai, the president has had a clear plan in place to defeat the terrorists and restore peace to the North East and all of Nigeria ever since he assumed office.
He recalled Buhari's declaration that "the military command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain there until Boko Haram was completely vanquished" during his inaugural address as president.
“I say with every sense of responsibility that the Buhari administration has subdued the Boko Haram insurgency and terrorism.
“As his premier Chief of Army Staff, and as the longest one that served under him for that matter, I think I owe it a duty to Nigerians and the whole world to say it as it is.”
He said that the president was well-prepared and knew everything there was to know about what caused the insurgency and terrorism.
According to Buratai, the Boko Haram insurgency was given a foothold before 2015 due to official blunders, carelessness, complacency, and conspiracy.
He also said that this made Boko Haram a scary group that killed thousands, conquered several towns and villages, and took over parts of Nigerian territory.
“This is the true summary of the Boko Haram armed insurrection.
“The murder of Muhammad Yusuf by the police was extrajudicial.
“Negligence, complacency and collusion with the proponents and strategic leaders of the Boko Haram insurgency for selfish reasons, caused the insurgency to degenerate into a full-blown nightmare,” he added.
Buratai recalled, “the president made it clear that there were lapses in how our police operate.
“Notwithstanding, he also made it clear that the methods used by members of the sect qualified them to be labelled as mindless and godless human beings.
“He told Nigerians and the international community that the terrorists were not true Muslims”.
Buratai said that in his memoir, he would explain in more detail how the military took down the terrorists and how to tell if what he said was true.
The former COAS said non-violent methods were needed to win the war. He said that the terrorists needed to be deradicalised so that they would give up their ideology, embrace democracy, respect the national constitution, and embrace peace.
Buratai cited Philip H. Gordon, a leading expert on terrorism, who said that a successful military campaign against terrorism would not eradicate the threat permanently.
“Gordon went on to further explain in his book that victory in the war against terrorism does not completely eliminate any possible terrorist threat.
“Pursuing that goal will almost certainly lead to more terrorism, but rather, the reduction of the risk of terrorism to such a level that it does not significantly affect average citizens’ daily lives, preoccupy their thoughts or provoke an overreaction.
“At that point, even the terrorists will realise their violence is futile.
“Keeping this vision of victory in mind will not only avert considerable pain, expenses and trouble, it will also guide leaders toward the policies that will bring such a total victory about,” he added.