'You need information,' military says local communities not cooperating enough against Boko Haram
The military says local communities are not supplying enough information on Boko Haram.
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The Islamic sect has killed over 30,000 people and displaced millions in the restive region since its insurgency escalated in 2009.
At least 43 farmers were killed by terrorists during a devastating attack in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State on Saturday, November 28, 2020.
The attack has led to widespread condemnation of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government's efforts towards eradicating the terrorist group.
Enenche said during an interview on Channels TV on Monday, November 30 that local communities are not supplying enough information to the military.
He said troops sometimes fall into Boko Haram traps that could be avoided if local communities diligently communicate terrorist movements and activities to the authorities.
He said, "You need a guide. You need information.
"Will they tell us? Yes, sometimes; and most times, no.
"And that's one of the issues we have been trying to ensure that we overcome with civil-military cooperation activities, reaching out to them, even sending out people by proxy to talk to them.
"This has been one of the bane of the final success in the whole of this operation."
When further pressed on if he was blaming local communities as Boko Haram collaborators, Enenche said he was referring to terrorist informants, and not entire communities.
To address the situation, he said the military is working hard on improving confidence in the system to encourage local communities to cooperate more in the war against terror.
Enenche also lamented that the production of equipment to help troops has been halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The military spokesperson said the equipment are essential to strengthening surveillance operations in the north east region.
He reiterated that the military is committed towards completely wiping out the terrorists from the devastated region.
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