The Minister of Defense, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has affirmed that in consolidating efforts to end insurgency, the Nigerian Armed Forces led by the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa has recently got the Republic of Niger back into the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
Badaru who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana gave the affirmation in Abuja on Wednesday in a briefing to Kick-start activities towards the 2025 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebrations (AFRDC).
The Defense Minister informed that the efforts would no doubt help in securing the very extensive border with the Republic of Niger as well as contribute to the overall effectiveness of the Joint Task Force.
According to him, thanks to the renewed vigor, incidences of security breaches have been reduced by an estimated 65% across the country, and the Armed Forces would continue until the nation achieved an insignificant level of breaches on its security.
Badaru maintained that the Armed Forces Remembrance Day is a very important event celebrated globally and observed in commemoration of the end of World War I which ended on November 11, 1918.
“While other Commonwealth member countries observe this event on 11th November yearly, Nigeria observes it on 15th January annually to commemorate the end of the Nigerian Civil War.
“Our dear nation, Nigeria, has been bedeviled by serious internal security concerns for over a decade.
“These challenges have stretched the resources of our nation and the Armed Forces to restore normalcy.
“The war on insurgency has led the pack of security challenges threatening the corporate existence of our dear nation.
“As the nation was beginning to heave a sigh of relief from insurgency in the North East, new frontiers of terror emerged in the North West and North Central in the form of banditry, cattle rustling and kidnapping.
“The earlier classification of this brand of terror as banditry did not help the cause of its eradication.
“However, as far as we are concerned, today the bandits are terrorists/insurgents.
READ ALSO: Nigeria condemns terrorist attack on military airport in Mali
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria has risen up to these challenges irrespective of the costs paid by our troops. For this reason, we now have a situation that is under control.
“When bandits and criminals formulate new techniques and establish new bases when dislodged, the Armed Forces have continued to adopt new strategies and switch up their tactics to take the battle to their doorsteps.
“The troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) have continually dealt fatal blows to terrorist groups in the Lake Chad Region through a series of daring operations.
“In one such operation conducted on June 15, 2024, several terrorists were neutralized and 34 women and children were rescued from insurgents.
“Also, the Nigerian Navy Ship Soroh discovered and deactivated an illegal refining site in the Isonogbene area of Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.
“The Nigerian Air Force carried out impressive airstrikes on June 17, 2024, in Katsina State, resulting in the elimination of over 80 terrorists.
“These strikes, along with previous ones in various parts of the North West and North East have significantly disrupted terrorist activities and enhanced the safety of several communities for
their residents.
“Owing to the onslaught on insurgents, the Armed Forces has degraded their capacity, necessitating the surrender of more than 100,000 insurgents and the elimination of their top commanders.
“In the same vein, oil production has received a big boost as the country’s production has doubled from the level obtainable last year. There is hope of achieving a 2-million-barrel-per-day output before the end of the year 2024.
“It is gladdening to note that scores of insurgents have been surrendering and renouncing terrorism.”