Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, Nigeria’s chief of army staff, has branded those seeking a probe of his choice Dubai homes as the defeated Boko Haram terrorists who are now hiding behind the Internet to continue with their attacks against the military institution and government of Nigeria.
Buratai stated this on Tuesday, June 28, 2016 at the Army Headquarters, Abuja, while fielding questions from journalist during a press briefing on the activities lined up for this year’s Nigerian Army Day Celebration, NADCEL 2016 with the theme, Optimizing the Capability of the Nigerian Army to Meet Contemporary Security Challenges.
The army chief, who had earlier elected not to speak much on it since both the federal government and the Nigerian Army have spoken and exonerated him on the issue, went ahead to state that terrorists having been defeated on the field in the North-East, have now migrated to the cyberspace and the internet to carry out acts of mischief.
General Buratai vowed that the Nigerian Army will in the same manner they decimated Boko Haram, will pursue the emergent ‘internet terrorists’ to cyberspace and defeat them.
According to him, the army has already marshalled out how to counter the narratives and new strategies of those he tagged ‘cyber terrorists’
“I am not supposed to be commenting again on this issue because both the Federal Government and the Army have addressed. However, what I can say is that we have defeated the terrorists on the land and they have now migrated to the cyberspace,” General Buratai said.
“But I want to assure that we will follow these Boko Haram that migrated to the cyberspace to wherever they are. We will follow them and clear their doubts.”
In the same vein, Buratai emphasised on the fact that Boko Haram has been defeating, insisting that they no longer hold grounds in the North East.
He challenged anybody who have a contrary view to produce evidence but clarified that some of the terrorists who are either hiding in pockets by infiltrating some communities or looking for any safe haven may cause havoc once in a while.
“Let’s be clear about this, no place or territory is being held by these terrorists. And of course you know that if terrorists are dislodged from one place they move to another even across countries. Right now we have received reports of these terrorists moving to other areas.
“And when we say that the terrorists have been defeated and not holding any territory, have they come out to debunk it. No, non one has come to tell you that they are holding territory,” he asserted.
