In response to Former militant leader Asari Dokubo’s threat to shoot down a military helicopter near his residence and overpower the Nigerian military, the Defence Headquarters on Thursday had urged him to come to the battlefield and witness the capabilities of the military.
The Nigerian military, through its Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba mocked Dokubo’s utterances as “laughable”
The former militant leader had, on October 5, made a threat, however and in response to the careless talk, the military described Dokubo’s remarks as exaggerated and baseless, emphasizing that the Nigerian military operates with professionalism and respects democratic principles.
“To claim he can shoot down military helicopters is absurd. We are a professional military in a democratic setting, and we do not respond to reckless comments without due process,” Buba stated.
“The military is not the only security agency or department in the country. Other security forces have a constitutional role to play in addressing these issues.
“I assure you that he does not possess that capability, but I will leave it to the appropriate security forces to handle the matter. Our mandate is to confront him on the battlefield and take him out. He should come to the battlefield and see whether we can react or not.”
Buba stressed that the military’s primary focus is on terrorists operating in various theatres of operation.
He remarked, “Our enemy is the terrorists. While some may choose to label them differently depending on the region, in the northwest and northeast, some refer to them as bandits.
“I tell you, they are all terrorists. We must label them for what they are. Troops are making significant progress; as I mentioned, we prioritize targeting terrorist leadership, and we have successfully eliminated over 300 terrorist commanders in the last three quarters, not to mention their foot soldiers.
“Our aim is to diminish their fighting capabilities and to damage their military potential, which we have been achieving. As indicated in the brief you have just received, you can see the number of weapons and ammunition we have recovered.”
While the military assured that security agencies would handle the situation, it also reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining national security and neutralizing any threats to Nigeria’s sovereignty.