Major General Ibrahim
Nigeria has replaced the officer leading troops fighting Boko Haram, the army said on Thursday, after a recent surge in deadly attacks in the country’s remote northeast.
“A new commander has been appointed for Operation Lafiya Dole,” army spokesman Brigadier General Sani Usman said in a statement, identifying him as former military logistics chief Major General Rogers Ibe Nicholas.
He takes over from Major General Ibrahim Attahiru, who was appointed to the post just seven months ago and now has been reassigned to the army’s policy and planning department.
No reason was given for the change.
In recent weeks, there has been an upsurge in Boko Haram attacks that have cast further doubt on government and military claims that the jihadists are a spent force.
Last weekend, two suicide bombers killed at least 13 and injured more than 50 in Biu, a town some 185 kilometres (115 miles) south of Borno state capital Maiduguri.
On November 21, another suicide bomber blew himself up killing at least 50 worshippers at a mosque in Mubi, a town in Adamawa state, northeast Nigeria.
There have also been hit-and-run raids targeting towns, villages and military outposts in the northeast.
One such attack last month saw Boko Haram fighters briefly overrunning Magumeri, a town 50 kilometres north of Maiduguri, forcing troops to withdraw until reinforcements arrived.
The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009, has left at least 20,000 dead and made more than two million others homeless.
A source said: “Mr. Buratai usually visits attacked communities. Instances are Geidam, Madagali, among others. He visits within 24 hours with warnings and words of encouragement to troops.”
However, the investigation shows that the COAS stayed away after recent attacks in Chibok, Wanori and Dalori, while it also seems that the change in command and control of the soldiers has commenced taking toll on operations.
“Soldiers in battle front believe the development came at a wrong time. We used to have daily raids against Boko Haram,” added another source.
“They are now relaxed because everyone is waiting for the new plan directly from CDS’s office. We hope politics is not coming into play over management of operations.
“The war on Boko Haram should be from Maiduguri, not Abuja. We must not allow room for lapses. Many of the troops are not happy about the restructure and this is the truth.
“Being the ground troops and doing the bulk of the work, they want the COAS, whether Buratai or not, to be in command not CDS.
“In the past, operations directly under Defence were full of issues; go back to history. We only had some relief during the tenure of Ihejirika and now Buratai.
“Honestly, the recent upsurge in Boko Haram attacks is an indication Nigeria is moving back to square one and the fact that the terrorists all escaped after Dalori massacre shows we are in trouble.”
Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, Director Defence Information, didn’t confirm the development yet.
At least 86 people were killed and at least 62 more wounded in an attack by Boko Haram militants on Dalori village 4 kilometers from Maiduguri on January 30. The attack was a reprisal to the Civilian Joint Task Force, and it began when militants in two cars and on motorcycles entered Dalori and began to shoot at residents and firebomb their huts. The attack lasted for about four hours, and the militants supposedly burnt children alive.
