The Nigerian military has issued a challenge to former militant leader, Asari Dokubo, inviting him to test the strength of the armed forces on the battlefield.
This statement was made by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, on Thursday, in response to claims made by Dokubo that he had the power to shoot down a military helicopter hovering near his residence.
Dokubo had previously asserted that he possessed the capability to counter the Nigerian military.
In a bold retort, Maj Gen Buba dared Dokubo to engage in direct combat with the military, promising that the ex-militant leader would be swiftly “neutralised” if he took up the challenge.
He further called on the relevant security agencies to investigate Dokubo’s claims.
Buba stated, “Now, to comment that he can shoot down military helicopters is laughable, and I am tempted to laugh about that. We are in a democracy, and we are professional; we cannot simply act on someone’s comments without due consideration, lest we be accused of being undemocratic.
“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 also clarified that the military’s primary focus remains on combating terrorists across different regions of the country.
“Our enemy is terrorism,” he stated. “Whether in the northwest or northeast, where they are sometimes called bandits, they are all terrorists. We must call them what they are. Our troops have been making great strides, and as you can see from recent reports, we’ve eliminated over 300 terrorist leaders in the past three quarters and significantly weakened their fighting force.”
Buba emphasized that the military’s objective is to reduce terrorist capabilities and seize weapons, which they have been achieving consistently