Security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, has applauded the relocation of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Burata, to the Northeast to personally supervise the war against Boko Haram. He said that “this largely symbolic action will give necessary impetus to the fight against insurgency by boosting the fighting spirit of the men on the front lines.”
Reacting to the Operation Wrath of Bomo, which evicted Boko Haram fighters and their families from Chad, Ekhomu said that the Chadians used the provocation of the killing of about 100 Chadian soldiers in Bohoma peninsula on March 22, to mount the air, land and amphibious operatio, which resulted in over 1000 insurgent deaths and 52 fatalities on the Chadian side.
According to Ekhomu, “the Chadians exhibited a self-righteous indignation, which was expressed by President Idris Deb, who described the Bohoma ambush as the single worst loss of Chadian troops. I believe this righteous indignation is available to Buratai, who lost 47 troops in “Timbuktu” on March 22 at the hands of the Boko Haram insurgents.”
Ekhomu, President of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON), said that the symbolism of President Deby leading his troops to battle in Operation Wrath of Bomo was inspirational military leadership. “By putting his own life on the line, he got all Chadians – even the Buduma tribe to believe in the cause and also energized his troops to achieve phenomenal success”, he added.
The renowned intelligence analyst condemned the disparaging remarks made by President Deby against the Nigerian military. Pres. Deby accused the Nigerian Army of inaction or non-participation against Boko Haram in Operation Bomo Wrath. The Chadian Embassy in Abuja later disavowed the video images of Pres. Deby’s disparaging remarks.