Nigerians in diaspora laud Buhari, hail military shake-up

According to the group, the release of the girls was a confirmation that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is sincere to Nigerians in keeping its promises.

A statement issued on Thursday by its general secretary, Depreson Okereke also commended the recent shake-up in the military, saying that it would further reposition the Nigerian Army with its mandate to tackle terrorism with a renewed vigour.

The statement reads:

“We therefore laud the Nigerian Military and the Buhari administration for the rescue of the Chibok Girls and many other abductees whose release did not make media headlines.

“Across the oceans, Nigerians in Diaspora are happy to read about the numerous encomiums being showered on the Nigerian Military by respected nations of the world like the USA, the U.K., France, Germany and Russia.

“Such accolades coming to a nation that was once regarded as a terrorists’ hotbed has shown that there are things other countries fighting terrorism can learn from Nigeria.

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“It is noteworthy that efforts of the administration in curtailing terrorism have earned Nigeria global recognition. We are confident that the global rating of the Nigerian military will rise even further with the recent restructuring of the Nigerian Army formation, which we understand is another facet of improvements being made towards accelerating the war against terrorism.

“We appeal to officers to be up and doing in their new assignments and to never let the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces down.

“This is even as we remind them not to lose sight of the centrality of adhering to the rules of engagement. The slightest lapse in its observance would create an inroad for those seeking to undermine the counter-terrorism war.

“The exploits of the Nigerian Army have served to erase the negative image that people like Abdu Mutalab and several world terrorists had given the nation.

“The poor perception of the country has been totally wiped out by the singular actions of the Nigerian military which helped to effect the release of the abducted Chibok Girls and other captives back to the country."

The group further appealed to the federal government not to relent on its efforts until the last of the abducted girls have been released or accounted for.

“In this regard, we urge the Nigerian Army to intensify its operations against the terrorists to make them more amenable to releasing the remaining girls,” the statement added.

“Before now, Nigeria has been regarded as a volatie nation but the army has fought hard to bring back the nation’s lost glory.

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“What the Army has done so far is like taking a team from a division 3 to winning the European championship. We gladly salute the troops for achieving this feat in tandem.

“We were not surprised because the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai had recently declared that terrorism will soon be a thing of the past.”

The group further appealed to Nigerians of all shades of opinion, religion, ethnic and political leanings to desist from politicizing the release of the girls as this could greatly compromise their rehabilitation and reintegration.