Lucky Irabor, chief of defence staff (CDS), has asked Nigerians to trust the rehabilitation of repentant Boko Haram members.
According to a statement by Benjamin Sawyerr, director of defence information, the CDS said this on Tuesday at an interactive session with retired senior military officers in the north-east zone in Yola, Adamawa state.
Sawyerr said Irabor expressed appreciation to the people of the north-east for supporting military operations, adding that the security situation in the region will get better.
“General Irabor posited that the solutions to the north-east security challenges lie in the region, as he was optimistic that the situation would get better and better in the days ahead,” the statement reads.
“On the recent fear and apprehension making the rounds about the mass surrendering of Boko Haram/ISWAP ex-members, the CDS reassured Nigerians to trust the relevant agencies that have been tasked with responsibility of planning the rehabilitation of repented insurgents.”
The CDS asked the military veterans to take full advantage of the security negotiations in evaluating the various military operations.
Irabor said their patriotic and constructive assessment of the general security situation will add value to the ongoing military offensive in the region.
“What remains very clear is the desire and will of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to speedily turn around the fortune of the north-east to a state where everyone will be happy again,” he said.
The CDS described the attack on the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) as “more of criminal activities associated with normal banditry action” and said the military was already on the matter.