Damboa: Former CP Tsav hails Buratai, Nigerian troops over gallant display against Boko Haram terrorists

Ex-Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, has commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai and his gallant troops for a display of sheer “gallantry and patriotism” against Boko/ISWAP terrorists.

According to Mr Tsav, the COAS has once again silenced his critics and proven beyond reasonable doubt that he is worthy of President Muhammadu Buhari’s trust and that of Nigerians despite the conspiracy.

Scores of insurgents lost their lives on Wednesday after the gallant troops repelled an attack in Damboa, a town 85 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

The Nigerian soldiers were unscathed from a five-hour gun duel which left dead bodies of the insurgents and their 19 abandoned trucks littered on the ground.

Being a security expert himself, Alhaji Tsav likened the Nigerian troops to its American counterparts with zero tolerance for terrorists.

He expressed pride in their consistent show of bravery and courage amidst distraction by paid critics behind beguile negative scripts.

Mr. Tsav added that this may not have been achieved without Lt. Gen Buratai’s focused leadership and tenacity, who he says has done enough to earn his respect and that of all Nigerians.

This victory, according to the ex-CP, however, is an indication that all the military need is encouragement and not disparagement from Nigerians.

Read full statement below:

I am compelled by the extraordinary gallantry and patriotism displayed by our patriotic troops in their recent encounter with the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists to issue this public statement because of the excitement that overwhelmed me and countless Nigerians.

I wish to stress that Nigeria belongs to all of us. And when it borders on matters of national security, it is also our collective responsibility to encourage and support the efforts of FGN and our troops in securing our lives and property in any part of the country.

There is a deliberate malevolence and dampening scolding of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR and Service Chiefs over alleged incompetence in handling the fresh spate of insecurities in the country. I sensed for a long time that it has assumed the tone of conspiracy by a select elite.

But contrary to such regressive thoughts, our Armed Forces are performing exceedingly marvelous on the warfront. And the cooked opinions they canvass is not what is really obtainable on the field of battle.

I was specifically elated with the strides of our combined troops, comprising the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force under the “Operation Lafiya Dole which recorded yesterday’s blistering victory (March 4, 2020) over Boko Haram criminals and ISWAP terrorists in Damboa, Borno state. A battalion of insurgents laid ambush on our troops and the natives, with the intention of overrunning the town.

But in a surprise bulwark of defence network mounted by our brave troops, the invading insurgents were pounded so mercilessly to the extent the survivors had to scamper for safety. The terrorists least expected this fatal fate.

News reports had it that several insurgents met their waterloo during the encounter and 19 of their warfare vehicles were also destroyed. It happened both during the fierce exchange of gun battles and their defeatist retreat after a hot chase by our ground and air forces.

As a security expert myself, I know, it was an excellent performance by our troops and a replica of what only American troops can do to terrorists. The military squad which conducted this highly successful and commendable operation deserves special hogs and a dinner from Nigerians.

Even Borno state Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum and the residents of Damboa were impressed. Zulum could no longer conceal his feelings, but gave a public salutation to the gallant soldiers of the Nigerian Army and the Air Force under operation Lafiya Dole for the decisive blow against the Boko Haram insurgents.

These are actions that should attract loud public commendations for our troops beginning with the National Assembly, State Governors, opposition parties, Nigerian elites, the media and the generality of Nigerians.

The focus of the people on the once in awhile crippling of our troops in the frontlines is a very unpatriotic act. There is nowhere in the world where the citizens only delight in celebrating the victories of enemy forces against their Armies in battle or country.

Even before the repelling of insurgents at Damboa, Nigerian troops performed a similar feat at Jiddari Polo General Area located at the Southern part of Maiduguri metropolis. The same day President Buhari paid a condolence visit to Borno over the Boko Haram attack in Auno village, the insurgents regrouped and stealthily launched an attack on Jaddiri Polo General Area.

The intention was to disgrace Mr. President, challenge and mock the competence and capacity of our troops. But our brave troops proved them wrong by repelling the attack and securing the community. And to my knowledge, since 2019 when insurgency was animated again, our troops have gone to extra miles to secure communities in the North East and Nigeria so many times.

With every sense of responsibility, I commend the Nigerian Army and the troops fighting Boko Haram in the North East. They have always made us proud as a nation and should never be distracted by paid critics, who themselves feel comfortable wherever they are resident to craft the beguile negative scripts because of the security some of your colleagues’ have even paid the supreme price so that we can live in peace.

Most profoundly, I salute the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen TY Buratai for his focused leadership and tenacity. He has proven to Nigerians innumerable times that Nigeria’s problem with insurgency is not beyond him and the competence of the Nigerian Army. He has proved it enough to earn my respect and that of all Nigerians.

It is our divine obligation as Nigerians to always suckle the confidence we have collectively reposed in the competence and capacity of Lt. Gen TY Buratai. He has not failed to demonstrate that we will not only win the war, but expose and put the enemies of Nigeria to shame.

And I buttress this point with all seriousness from the confidence the latest Damboa Boko Haram incident has rekindled in me. Like the 2016 demolishing of the dreaded Sambisa forest, both have symbolized for our country a foretold success in the counter-insurgency operations. Nigerians should think of this!

We imagine that the residues of terrorists had mobilized all their fleeing forces together to fight the troops and wreak havoc on the innocent people in the town of Damboa to mock our country. But unexpectedly, the insurgents were embarrassed and violently pushed back by the Nigerian troops. They met a mightier force in our troops, at a time some Nigerians dismissed them as non-performers on the warfront.

It’s a sign of what we all stand to gain if we remain unflinchingly committed and united behind our military. It is just the only part we are obligated to play and there will be no force too strong for us to defeat.

I thank and appreciate all Nigerians and very hopeful, that with passage of time soonest, our country shall be free of any trace of terrorism.