Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, instructed the GOC 8 Division, Nigerian Army to relocate his tactical headquarters from Sokoto to Gusau, Zamfara State

Molly Kilete, Abuja

The fight against insurgency has received a major boost with the marching order by the Federal Government to the Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, to relocate to the North East until the security situations improve. 

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The directive came as President Muhammadu Buhari ordered emergency procurement of critical equipment for troops.

Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, who gave the directive in Abuja, also instructed the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division, Nigerian Army to relocate his tactical headquarters from Sokoto to Gusau, Zamfara State to oversee the conduct of Operation Sharan Daji launched to flush out banditry in the state.

Dan-Ali, in statement signed by his public relations officer, Colonel Tukur Gusau, said the Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff have also been mandated to effect changes in the operational commands of Operations Delta Safe in the Niger Delta, Lafiya Dole in the North East, Sharan Daji in Zamfara and Katsina states and Awatse in the South West.

He said the resolution was the fallout of the army council meeting held in Abuja.

Gusau, in the statement, said the meeting also considered and approved the promotion of qualified senior military officers to their next ranks.

As a mark of concern for the welfare of members of the Armed Forces, President Buhari has also directed the enhancement of the welfare of troops, particularly those serving in operational areas within the country.

The moves, coming in the wake of the massacre in Metele, Borno State, according to observers, is informed by the need to shore up the waning morale of troops and give verve to the anti-insurgency war.

During his visit to survivors of the Metele attack in Maiduguri last week, Buhari had vowed to wipe out the Boko Haram madness.

This, he said, would be achieved with procurement of modern fighting equipment.

The president who addressed troops on the frontline in the North East also assured the people of the region of his administration’s determination to prosecute the counter-insurgency to logical conclusion.

He promised that his administration would continue to give maximum support to the military, noting that one of the cardinal objectives of his government was to ensure adequate security of lives and property of the citizenry.

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