Newly appointed Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj Gen Olusegun Adeniyi has vowed to turn up heat against Boko Haram insurgents in the three northeast states.

Gen. Adeniyi while taking over as the eighth commander of the theatre at a brief ceremony at the headquarters, Operation Lafiya Dole Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri on Friday, said many senior military officers have fought the insurgents in their enclaves. He promised to take the counter-insurgency battle farther.

“I will turn up the heat on the insurgents. Generals have taken the fight to Boko Haram and I will take it farther,” he said. “You will remember I said so, ” he vowed.

He said he was proud and happy that he took over from his predecessor, Maj Gen Benson Akinroluyo who he worked with as deputy commander at the theatre. He said the former commander has groomed him unknown to him he would take over from the General one day.

He thanked the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai for appointing him as the new commander of the theatre. “I will not let him down,” he promised. He said his mission in the theatre was taken from the army chief mission statement, assuring that he would live up to the expectations of the army leader.

Outgone Theatre Commander, Maj Gen Akinroluyo also said he was delighted to hand over to his deputy. He said the transition was like a moving vehicle. “When the driver leaves, the spare driver takes over but the vehicle remains,” he said even as he called for support for his successor.

Theatre command headquarters started operation at the Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri late 2015 following President Mohammadu Buhari’s directive that the Military Command and Control Centre (MCCC) move from defence headquarters in Abuja to Maiduguri. Maj Gen Yusha’u Abubakar assumed duty as the first Theatre commander on 16th August, 2015. He was succeeded by Maj Gen Hassan Umaru on 4th January 2016.

Others include Maj Gen Lucky Irabor who took over on 17th March 2016, Maj Gen Ibrahim Attahiru appointed on 30th May 2017, Maj Gen Rogers Nicholas (11th December 2017) and Maj Gen Abubakar Dikko ( 31st January, 2018). Maj Gen Benson Akinroluyo assumed office at the theatre 27th November, 2018 and handed over on Friday 17th August to Maj Gen Adeniyi.

Adeniyi was a former brigade commander 31 Artillery brigade in Borno. He was also the president of Army court Martial before his deployment to the army headquarters. He has redeployed to the theatre again early 2019 as deputy theatre commander, the position he held before his appointment as the eighth theatre commander. (Saturday Sun)

Update news