By Chimezie Godfrey
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, have ordered intensified offensive operations against terrorists following their visit to Maiduguri, Borno State.
The visit, which took place on Wednesday, came barely 24 hours after suicide bomb incidents within the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.
Addressing troops at the Maimalari Cantonment, the CDS commended officers and men for their resilience and sacrifices in the ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
He directed commanders to step up offensive actions, strengthen intelligence gathering and adopt innovative strategies to dominate the operational environment.
Oluyede assured the troops of continued support from the Defence Headquarters.
Similarly, the COAS praised the troops’ doggedness and charged field commanders to sustain the tempo of operations.
He stressed the importance of adopting a “never again” posture to deny terrorists any opportunity to strike, particularly during the Ramadan period.
The Theatre Commander, who briefed the visiting chiefs, disclosed that troops had neutralised over 200 terrorists in recent operations, while several others sustained injuries.
He said the successes had significantly degraded the terrorists’ fighting capacity.
He reaffirmed the commitment of troops to sustained operations aimed at restoring peace and stability in the North East.