Boko Haram: Army Chief Calls For Patience

Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah while speaking at the opening of the COAS 3rd Quarterly Conference in Abuja has appealed to Nigerians to give the Army a little more time. His words;

“You see, the Nigerian Army is performing and checking these insurgents. I know the expectations of the Nigerian citizens but the expectation is rather too much in haste. We need some time; we need patience and you must know we are fighting terrorism. We are not fighting a conventional war. The Nigerian Army is a conventional and regular army. Continue below..

“The terrorist is someone you do not know. It may be someone who sold food or fruit to you in the morning and by the afternoon he is the terrorist. We are having all that inter-play in the battle front in the North-East. We have to be conscious to separate the terrorists from the law abiding citizens and we also have human rights to protect.

“You just do not go out killing people, that they are terrorists. Some are innocent Nigerians. We are also bound by all the international treaties on human rights, therefore, we need time. I know the expectations of the Nigerian citizens is that this thing should be over by yesterday, but the reality is that it would not have been over by yesterday because  of the structure and dynamics of fighting this type of  terrorism.

“We are fighting Nigerian citizens, we are not fighting foreigners; so caution must be exercised. I appeal and assure that we will certainly surmount it but we also need support from the nation, from all segments of society and from the people including the media. And we need patience and time for us to do it. We also have the equipment and the federal government is introducing fresh and newer equipment to us which in a short while hopefully be there for use.”