‘Activities Of Boko Haram Posing A Formidable Challenge To Armed Forces’

The activities of radical Islamist sect, Boko Haram, has been described as a formidable challenge to the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Nigerian Air Force Tactical Air Command in Makurdi, Benue State, AVM Umar Omeiza said yesterday.

Omeiza, in his address delivered at the meeting of officers of the Directorate of Air Intelligence held at the Air Force Base, Makurdi, said: “Nigeria has in the past few years been faced with heightened level of insecurity of different forms and shades, however the most formidable challenge to the security of Nigeria comes from the Boko Haram sect”.

The Air chief expressed regrets that the peace and security of the country was being threatened by the insurgents and therefore, called for the support and cooperation of the global community in the fight against terrorism.

He added that the increasing sophistication of terrorist attacks and their seeming expertise in the use of Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, make the adoption of proactive intelligence gathering a panacea for decisive action.

“With the ongoing military action in which the Nigeria Air Force is actively involved, I believe that the menace of the Boko Haram terrorist will soon become history.  All hands must however be on deck in this fight”, he noted.

On his part, the Director of Air Intelligence, Air Cdre. Kayode Adediji, said the emerging security challenges confronting the nation require new strategies.