Defence headquarters dismisses Shekau’s threat in new video - PUNCH

October 11, 2013 by Fidelis Soriwei, Abuja 

Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade

The Defence Headquarters on Thursday dismissed the Boko Haram threat as a desperate attempt by a terror group desperate for publicity.

Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen Chris Olukolade, while reacting to the threat to launch more attacks against Nigeria in a new video purportedly posted by the leader of the violent Islamic sect, Abubakar Shekau, said the threats were flimsy and not new.

The BBC quoted the person claiming to be Shekau as having said that Boko Haram had seized enough weapons from Nigerian troops to ensure the prosecution of the campaign to foist a brand of Islamic religion on Nigeria.

In the audio file said to have been released to trusted journalists, the Boko Haram leader said that non believers of Islamic would be eliminated.

It was stated in the report that the voice in the audio file was “distinctly the voice of Abubakar Shekau or a very good impersonation of him.”

 Olukolade said that Boko Haram would not be able to prevent the Armed Forces and the security agencies from carrying out their responsibility of defending and protecting the citizenry.

He saidthat the Armed Forces and the security agencies were conscious of their responsibility and were prepared to deal with the insurgency.

Olukolade said,  “The military and security agencies are not taking anything lightly, all these claims are flimsy and I can tell you that they are not capable of diminishing our ability to defend Nigerians.

“Nigerians should continue to cooperate with the Nigerian Armed Forces and securityagencies to defend and protect the citizenry. Nigerians should disregard those threats.

“There is no need to respond to spurious and bogus claims by terrorists. It is typical of failing terrorists desperate for headlines.

“All I can tell you at the moment is that it should be obvious to all by now that neither Nigerians nor their Armed Forces and security agencies would be swayed or intimidated to concede to impossible ideologies of terrorists. The capacity of the forces in Nigeria to check and ultimately defeat terror has not diminished in any way.”

Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Azubuike Ihejirika, meanwhile, told the senate on Thursday that the Nigerian Army was prepared to defend the country and her citizens at all time.

Ihejirika spoke while briefing the Senate Committee on Defence on the budget performance of the service.

He said that the effectiveness of the Army was dependent on the quality of its personnel and equipment.

He said, “The mission of the Nigerian Army is to win all land battles in the defence of the nation. The Army will be robust in terms of quality of personnel and equipment effectively deployed to protect and defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

“The Nigerian Army as a major element of national security is being maintained by funds released by the Federal Government to achieve its constitutional roles.”