Buratai Describes Metele Attack as Unfortunate, Says No Army Has Enough Equipment to Fight

Pat Stevens/

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has described the November 18 attack on the Metele camp of the 157 Taskforce Battalion of the Nigerian Army as “unfortunate”.

He also argued that no army in the world could have enough equipment to conduct its operations.

This is even as President Muhammadu Buhari announced plans by the Federal Government to increase the remuneration of the military.

In his opening remarks at the ongoing Chief of Army Staff 2018 Annual Conference, Buratai said “the dislodgement of the Metele camp by Boko Haram was an unfortunate incident”.

Buratai said the incident would however not deter the military from achieving it’s core mandate of rooting out the insurgents.

He also stated: “No army can have enough equipment to conduct its operations. So it is incumbent on all commanders to know that we are involved in an asymmetric warfare which calls for dynamism and flexibility.

“The troops of the 157 Battalion are members of the multinational joint taskforce fighting the insurgents and the taskforce is making efforts to ensure the welfare of the casualties and their full operationalisation.”

The statement by Buratai marked the first official public admission of the devastating attack in which no fewer than 100 soldiers were reportedly killed while scores are still missing.

Among the casualties was the Commanding Officer of the 157 Battalion, Lt. Col. Ibrahim Sakaba, and several other senior officers.

Buhari who declared open the conference taking place in Maiduguri, Borno State, also urged the military to eliminate Boko Haram from the face of the Earth.

Others who spoke at the opening ceremony included the Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, and Minister of Defence, Brig. Gen. Mansur Dan-Alli (rtd).

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