Boko Haram defies Nigeria's new Army chief. Burns down his country home in Buratai

Boko Haram defies Nigeria's new Army chief. Burns down country home in Buratai

Boko Haram terrorists have defied the boastful rhetoric of Nigeria's new Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Buratai. Reuters reports that the terrorists burned down houses in the army chief's hometown in in Buratai, Borno State, including his family home on Tuesday.

The attack came two days after the chief of army staff, Tukur Buratai, vowed to compel the insurgents to beg for peace.

Mr. Buratai was not present at the time of the attack in the early hours, Reuters reported Tuesday quoting security sources.

Since his appointment last week, Buratai has been talking tough about crushing the virulent Islamic terror group  responsible for tens of thousands of deaths and destruction mostly across the northern parts of Nigeria.

Speaking Sunday, the new Chief of Army said under his command, Boko Haram would either beg for peace or face the wrath of highly motivated and combat ready soldiers. 

The Borno State-born Major General, who took over command of the nation’s army last week, said he was ready to lead soldiers to the dens and enclaves of the insurgents.

He tagged the operational code of the counter terrorists efforts from “Operation Zaman Lafiya” to “Operation Zaman Lafiya Dole” – which in Hausa means ‘the quest for peace becomes a must’. 

Mr. Buratai, who was in neighbouring Yobe State to celebrate the Islamic eid-el-fitri festival with Nigerian troops, moved to Borno on Sunday afternoon.

“As Chief of Army Staff, I will be actively involved in this ‘Operation Zaman Lafiya Dole’ to end the madness of Boko Haram if I will have your collective maximum support and cooperation,” he said.

“Since Boko Haram terrorists have refused peace (Zaman Lafiya), we will now force them to accept peace.

“The peace that permeated Borno and transcended Lake Chad will soon return. My wish was to clear Konduga of Boko Haram vestige so that people can return home to rebuild their houses,” the army chief added.

Similar event occurred last  year after Air Marshal Alex Badeh was appointed Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).  Badeh, had boasted that he would crush Boko Haram in few months only for Boko Haram to capture his country home in Mubi and sacked his entire community. 

The terrorists  consequently renamed the town “Madinatu Islam” (the city of Islam) and urged trapped residents to go about their normal businesses, saying they would provide better security for residents and visitors under their reign.

Shamefaced Badeh however dismissed the incident as inconsequential. “If a CDS loses his home town it’s the same thing as losing Lagos; it’s the same as losing Enugu. Any part of the country that is lost CDS carries the weight, ok.

“So, it is immaterial whether it is my home town, whether it’s my house that is burnt or Emeka’s house or whoever’s house that is burnt in Nigeria, the CDS is pained,’’ he said.