The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has issued a challenge to former militant leader, Asari Dokubo, inviting him to the battlefield to witness firsthand the effectiveness of the military.
This comes after Dokubo, in a viral video last Saturday alleged that two helicopters had hovered over his home and compound for over 30 minutes.
The 60-year-old interpreted the incident as provocation from the government, police, and supporters of Nyesom Wike, the former Rivers State Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Dokubo cautioned that if the helicopters were shot down, the responsibility should not fall on him.
“I didn’t go and look for the helicopter to shoot them down. I will shoot down the helicopter. I swear by Allah that I will shoot down the helicopter,” he said.
In response, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, challenged Dokubo to join the battlefield and prove his claims of competing with the military.
He vowed that the former militant leader would be neutralized and called on relevant security agencies to take action on the issue.
He said: “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.
“Our enemy is the terrorists. While some may choose to label them differently depending on the region, in the northwest and northeast, some refer to them as bandits.
“I tell you, they are all terrorists. We must label them for what they are. Troops are making significant progress; as I mentioned, we prioritise targeting terrorist leadership, and we have successfully eliminated over 300 terrorist commanders in the last three quarters, not to mention their foot soldiers.
“Our aim is to diminish their fighting capabilities and to damage their military potential, which we have been achieving. As indicated in the brief you have just received, you can see the number of weapons and ammunition we have recovered.”
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