Nigeria Army has urged troops of Operation Hadin Kai fighting Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East to adopt a soft and hard approach in countering terrorism and insurgency.
Speaking during a one-day Lecture organized by Defence Headquarters, at Theatre Command Officers’ Mess Maimalari Military Cantonment Maiduguri, the Theatre Commander, Mai-Gen. Gold Chibuisi, noted that the troops are in need of how to handle the soft and hard approach to be able to convince the populace and the insurgents to accept peace and reconciliation process.
According to him, now more than ever, the Boko Haram insurgents are accepting the peace process rather than being in the Sambisa forest fighting a senseless war.
Chibuisi was represented by his Deputy, Maj. Gen Olatokunbo Bello explained that security challenges cannot be dealt with efficiently using kinetic power alone, adding that soft and hard approaches are to be combined to achieve success in the fight against terrorism.
“This lecture is coming at a time when our troops will be sensitised even further on how to get the other side to come and surrender their weapons and enjoy what it is to live a peaceful life.
“I believe by the end of this lecture the troops will gain further insight on how to handle issues of soft and hard approach to counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency, such that would enable them to convince the populace and the enemy to turn in and support the troops and sue for peace and reconciliation.
“I have no doubt at the end of this lecture we will be better informed and have a broader mind than we came here.”
He called on the troops to take lessons from the lecture in order to have a better operation in the Theater and to bring to an end the issue of insecurity in the North-East region.
Also speaking, the Guest Lecturer, Dr. ADAM Abdullahi, who is also the Head Defence and Security Studies department, Centre for Strategic Research and Studies, National Defence College of Nigeria, identified the dominant security challenges as terrorism in the North-east, banditry and terrorism in the North-west, herder-farmer clashes and terrorism in the North-central, militancy, among others.
“To solve these challenges we need soft and hard approach,” he added.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then