Browsing: Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai

Buratai told newsmen in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Tuesday after a courtesy call on Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, that the troops had displayed commendable professionalism in the troubled region of the country

The joint operation between elements of 7 Division and the Cameroonian forces along Banki-Kumshe axis, led to the killing of 20 Boko Haram terrorists, destruction of 4 AK 47 rifles and capture of a gun truck mounted with an Anti-Aircraft Gun (AA Gun) and 2 AK 47 rifles, as well as a 60mm mortar and a Dane gun. Unfortunately, 3 soldiers sustained injuries and a vehicle damaged as a result of an Improvised Explosive Device

Buratai, who disclosed this while defending the Army’s budget proposal before the House of Representatives Committee on the Army, also lamented that the N160 billion budget approved for the Army by the Ministry of Budget and Planning was grossly inadequate to prosecute the war against insurgency in the North East

Buratai stated this at the Lagos City Marathon, in which the Army fielded 17 personnel

Buratai gave the directive on Wednesday during a conference with Principal Staff Officers and Directors serving at the Army Headquarters in Abuja

There was no immediate report of casualties in the fighting

It will be recalled that 71 soldiers were arraigned on several charges in joint trials

Buratai said this when he met with a delegation from the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs at the Army Headquarters in Abuja

The sect also said the whereabout of Zakzaky was also not known as at the time of issuing the statement

Explaining what led to the clash between detachments of the Nigerian Army in the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, and members of the Shiite Islamic sect on Saturday in Zaria, Kaduna State, spokesman of the Army, Colonel Sani Usman, said such lawlessness would not be condoned

It was learnt that for the better part of Saturday evening and in the early hours of Sunday, gunshots were heard in Zaria

The confusion stemmed from the initial figure of the dead relayed by those at the scene of the clash to media houses and the varying versions of what led to the clash by the Nigerian Army and the sect members

Members of the sect, led by Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, initially gave an outlandish figure of 50 dead to The Eagle Online while the clash was on

In a bid to ferry their boss to safety, those in the convoy of Buratai were said to have shot at the crowd surging towards Buratai

The Minister, who said the civilian part of the war on terrorism is missing, promised that the Federal Government will ensure that the military’s efforts are complemented by all Nigerians through the launch of a massive nationwide campaign to sensitize and enlist the support of all Nigerians for the war and by bridging the information gap between the military and the media

Olonishakin said this shortly after receiving operational brief from the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, and the operational commanders at the Military Command and Control Centre, Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, Borno State

The terrorists, who were apparently fleeing military onslaught around the area over the weekend, struck at Bam village, some seven kilometres to Buratai, home of the army chief, which has also experienced similar attacks in the past, one of the sources said

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai, has commended the vigilant troops and the Nigeria Police for the arrests

A statement by the Nigerian Army on Wednesday said this unprecedented development has put paid to the much touted ability of the terrorists to fabricate rockets and their launchers using rudimentary materials

Buratai made the assertion on Saturday in Bauchi while addressing senior military officers drawn from the Armoured Corps and 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi