The office of the Chief of Defence staff has debunked statements accredited to the Chief of Defense, AM Alex Badeh, that the war on terror would be over by April.
According to a statement from Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information, the CDS was misquoted by several publications. The statement clarified that the CDS said it would be ideal to curb the menace of terror in the North by April so as not to necessitate the extension of the State of Emergency in 5 Northern States.
“The remarks made by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal AS Badeh during the handing and taking over ceremony between him and the immediate-past CDS on the need to end terrorism by April this year, has expectedly generated a lot of comments, interpretation and reaction especially from the media. This has necessitated a clarification in the interest of the general public and for record purposes.
“The Defence Headquarters is concerned about the implications of the varying interpretations and insinuations given to the remarks of the CDS which was essentially directed to the new service chiefs.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the declaration was more of a charge to the new service chiefs to brace up to the expediency of sufficiently defeating terrorism and restore normalcy in all parts of the country to avert extension after April.
“The CDS statement should not be mistaken for a false sense of hope or mere grandstanding as have been imputed by some individuals. Ending terrorism anywhere has never been and cannot be precisely determined by a directive.
“The remarks by the CDS was meant to motivate commanders and troops to work harder towards the restoration of normalcy as envisaged in the states under emergency rule. Unfortunately, the charge has been taken too literally to mean definite promise to end terrorism by April,” he said.