We don’t need mercenaries to fight Boko Haram —DHQ

THE Defence Headquarters, on Thursday, said it did not need foreign mercenaries to fight Boko Haram, as the defeat of the terrorists was already a success story.

Acting Director, Defence Information, Brigadier-General Rabe Abubakar, stated that “the DHQ wishes to state, with emphasis, that the Nigerian Armed Forces have the capacity and capability to clear the remnants of the terrorists from our land and that is what the military has been doing.”

According to him, it was not necessary or logical to go for mercenaries after the battle of Boko Haram insurgency had been won, as the pocket of attacks witnessed in the last few days by the fleeing Boko Haram terrorists were isolated cases, though regrettable, that did not call for serious concern as it was not uncommon worldwide for such occurrence in any area that was once infested by terrorist groups.

The defence spokesman noted that those peddling rumours on the use of mercenaries were mischievous.

He said they had done it before and failed and were at it again.

“Surely, they will definitely fail this time also,” he said.

The DDI added that the unprecedented successes recorded against the deadly Boko Haram sect by the Nigerian military, without seeking external force, was there for all to see.

The DHQ, therefore, urged “our patriotic citizens to ignore the senseless talk and dismiss the story in its entirety as it was concocted to serve inglorious selfish interest.”

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in Borno State, on Thursday, said 22, 000 internally displaced persons (IDPs)  have returned to four local government areas liberated from Boko Haram in the state.

The North-East coordinator of NEMA, Alhaji Muhammad Kanar, who disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the areas included Mafa, Dikwa, Konduga and Ngala.

He said no fewer than 7, 297 IDPs from Konduga, 12,517 from Mafa and 1,936 from Dikwa had willingly returned to their liberated communities.

According to him, “Report from International Organisation for Migrations, IDPs matrix tracking system indicates that we have about 393, 900 IDPs in 16 liberated local government areas.

“The councils include Dikwa, Bama Konduga Lassa Damboa, and Damboa Sabon-gari, Banki Benishaik, Gamborun ngala, Baga, Nganzai, Gwoza, Izge and Pulka, among others.

“We have about 110, 000 IDPs in 11 camps here in Maiduguri. The camps include Dalori I & II, Bakassi,  EYN, CAN center, Gubio, MOGOLIS, Madinatu, NYSC and Teachers Village, among others.

Kanar said the agency was working with other relevant stakeholders to ensure total rehabilitation and resettlement of all IDPs in the North-East,” said Kanar.