PARADE IN HIS HONOUR, AT INFANTRY CORPS IN JAJI, KADUNA,
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Kenneth Minimah yesterday, poured cold water on insinuations that the Boko Haram sect has more sophisticated weapons than the Nigerian Army.
The army chief insisted that the Nigerian military is more sophisticated in terms of weapons and ammunitions than the Boko Haram sects, pointing out that even the weapons and ammunitions used by the terrorists were stolen.
“Insurgents are not more sophisticated in terms of weapons. Do they have ship, helicopter, and aircraft? Even what they have are stolen, so they cannot be more sophisticated. They do not have more sophisticated weapons than the army”, he stressed.
Minimah made the disclosure during a routine visit to the 44 Army Reference Hospital Kaduna, where wounded officers and soldiers, from all the theatres of operations in the north eastern part of the country code named ‘Operation Zaman Lafia’ were receiving treatment.
He said the routine visit was also going to be used to present Purple Heart medals to the wounded but brave officers and soldiers in recognition of their gallant efforts towards the army’s continued determination to fight all forms of insurrection in the country.
According to the COAS, “We are here on a routine visit to 44 army hospitals Kaduna and also to visit all the soldiers and officers who were wounded in action in all the theatres of ‘Operation Zaman Lafia’.
“We use the opportunity to award them medals, private war time medals of purple hearts as part of welfare program, which is presented to them today by the Honourable Minister of Defence, General Mohammed Aliyu Gusau (rtd). It is part of welfare program to rekindle the fighting spirit and troop efficiency among the soldiers and officers.
“It is also part of the extension of the concern of the Nigerian army to officers or solders injured or killed during the operation”.
It was learnt that 57 soldiers and three officers, who sustained various degrees of injuries during the operation in the north east and were receiving treatment at the hospital, were awarded the Purple Heart medals by the Nigeria army.
