COAS Lt-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai says that the present location of the defence headquarters is not convenient and should be relocated to a permanent site
He describes the death of Col Abu-Ali as an eye opener
Buratai says that some responses and utterances by highly-placed individuals in the country were posing serious threats to national security
Chief of Army Staff Lt- General Tukur Yusuf Buratai has disclosed that the present location of the defence headquarters in the Gariki area of the Federal Capital territory (FCT) Abuja is not so convenient, hence the need for relocation.
Describing the present location of the defence headquarters, which comprises the army, navy and air force as mere temporary site, Buratai said the military is already making plans to relocate the service to its permanent site very soon when it has annexed all the lands belonging to the three services, Daily Trust reports.
COAS Lt-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai says that the present location of the defence headquarters is not convenient, hence the need to relocate.
Buratai made this disclosure on Monday, November 7, when he appeared before the Senate Committee on the FCT in company of leadership of the army authorities to explain the alleged army’s forceful takeover of 238 hectares of land in Maitama Extension.
He said: “We need to improve on our facilities. The Army headquarters, the Defence headquarters and the Ministry of Defence are not in the right places. If appropriate measures are put in place, we will be able to relocate to safer places for us to discharge our duties effectively.
“The Nigerian Army is ever ready to subject itself to civil authority. The land under dispute is posing security threat. If the committee visits the place, they will understand what we are talking about threat. We are ready to submit ourselves to the civil authorities. The issue at hand about the land in Maitama, I want to concur with the Minister of FCT. We are talking and we will continue to talk until we arrive at a decision.”
Buratai also noted that some responses and utterances by highly-placed individuals in the country were posing serious threats to national security.
He said one officer, six soldiers and one rating were killed in the ambush that claimed the life of Colonel Abu-Ali. However, his statement contradicts an earlier insinuation that only four soldiers, including Colonel Abu-Ali were killed in the ambush.
“The fight against Boko Haram is a matter of concern to us. What we are going to witness today will be an eye opener. Although we have had cases of officers killed, this time calls for closer scrutiny of responses by individuals and organizations to national security.
“We must take the issue of security seriously. That is the only way we can take the issue of bringing this insurgency to a close. We need the support of the Senate. We will not remain in this condition. We need to improve on our facilities.”
Buratai’s comment comes even as the Minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello, blamed a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT Abuja), Senator Adamu Aliero for the current face-off between the Nigerian Army and civilians over ownership of the 238 hectares of land.
Bello made this claim while explaining to the senators, the current efforts being made by FCT and the Army to resolve the problem amicably.
He said: “I want to just mention that the area in contention was actually area earmarked for the Nigerian Army under the Guards Brigade way back in 1996. But sometime in 2009 a portion and the entire area in contention is about 246 hectares or thereabout.
“Sometime in 2009, plot allocations were made there and commitments were undertaken by the FCTA in terms of infrastructure. Allocated plots in that area from our records numbered about 600 plots out of which Certificate of Occupancy (C-of- O) have been issued to about 200 with payments of about N5.6 billion received aside commitment of about N9 billion already made in respect of providing infrastructure in the area out of estimated N23billion.”
He appealed to the committee to give the FCT authority and the Army more time to resolve the problem, saying “at the end of the day, we would be able to reach a solution to meet the needs of the military and of course, ensure also those that were allocated plots in that area in terms of financial commitments, do not lose their commitments.”
Boko Haram has stepped up attacks in Borno in recent times, targeting troops particularly along the Lake Chad and southern Borno in communities bordering Sambisa, the insurgents’ major operational base.
On Friday, November 4, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Abu Ali, who recaptured the Baga town of Borno state from the Islamist sect in 2015 was killed by Boko Haram insurgents.
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