Lay down your arms or get crushed, COAS tells Boko Haram

From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

The Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah yesterday warned the Boko Haram insurgents to lay down their arms and accept the Federal Government dialogue offer or else, the military would crush them.

The COAS was in Maiduguri for an unscheduled visit to the 21 Battalion, Giwa barracks where insurgents launched deadly attacks last Friday, before proceeding to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital where soldiers, wounded in the attack are being treated.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the visit, Lt. Gen. Minimah, said the insurgents still have more time to embrace peace and open talks with the government before it could be too late.

Minimah warned that the Nigerian Army would not hesitate to use its mighty powers to crack down the militants if they fail to embrace the path of peace.

“To the Insurgents, the dialogue table is still open for you to find a lasting solution to the bloodshed, you have two options, either to accept the dialogue or else the national power is available to the armed forces to crush you’’, he said.

Army chief restated the determination of the military to end the insurgency so that peace and normalcy can be restored to the troubled states and urged Nigerians to keep faith in Nigerian nation and the capability of the military to bring an end to the current insurgency.

Also speaking, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu expressed satisfaction with the situation on ground.

“So far so good, we are so happy with the morale of soldiers on the field. We are also happy about the impact we have already inflicted on the enemy that is the insurgents. The soldiers are on high spirit, I’m sure our coming today has further lifted them up,’’ Amosu said.