The Nigerian military has reaffirmed its commitment to ending insurgency and other insecurity plaguing the north-east and other parts of the country.

The Director of Defence Information of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Colonel Rabe Abubakar, made this reassurance during an interview with a cross section of Defence correspondents who paid him a visit to congratulate him on his appointment as the new Defence Spokesman.

Colonel Abubakar said that the military was always ready to carry out its constitutional responsibility, as enshrined in the constitution.

He appreciated the media and other well-wishers who have been commending troops in the north east, sacrificing day and night to stamp out terrorism in the area.

The Defence Spokesman also appealed to the general public to be security conscious, stressing that security was everyone’s business and should be treated as such.

Colonel Abubakar solicited public cooperation with the military and other security agencies through volunteering of needed information that would help in the operations against terror, emphasising that “terrorists are anti-human, anti-development and act in desperation and callous manner.

“They must be identified, pursued and annihilated in line without rules of engagement.”

For over five years, counter-terrorism operations have been on in the north-east to end attacks on communities by the Boko Haram militants, who are seeking an end to western education and the establishment of an Islamic State in the region.

Heightened onslaught against the terrorist group yielded results few weeks before Nigeria’s general elections with the military reclaiming some territories that the Boko Haram had taken.

They have resorted to suicide bombing in the region and have killed over 1,000 persons since the new government of Muhammadu Buhari came into office on May 29.

States worst hit are Adamawa, Borno and Yobe in the north-east region. (Channels TV)

•Photo shows Col Abubakar

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