By Musa Umar Bologi Abuja
Former Chief of Army Staff , Gen. Martin-Luther Agwai, has warned that the Boko-Haram terrorists are after the political class and other high ranking Nigerians, contrary to speculation that they are after the military. Agwai was a special Guest of Honour at the a lecture organised to mark the Nigerian Army Day Celebration, at the Army Resource Centre, Abuja. He said: “If people believe that it’s only the military that can bring an end to Boko Haram they are making a mistake because those
who are involved in the fourth generation warfare are after political and not military targets, military power and military achievement. It is important to note that this type of warfare is diffi cult to defeat. “Strategically, the fourth generation warfare remains focused on changing the minds of decision makers, politically it involves transitional and national networks; operationally it uses diff erent messages to diff erent audience and which focus on breaking the opponent political will; and tactically, using simple materials to create all the havoc.” He said the only way Boko Haram terrorists would be totally wiped out in the country was when the “army becomes all infantry dominated army.
“Th e time has come for the Nigerian army to train all its personnel as infantry soldiers irrespective of their trades, that is the only way the Boko-Haram terrorists would be wiped out. Th e former army chief said: “I come out with my suggestions and many of you would be surprised. My suggestion is that the Nigerian Army must be infantry dominated to fi ght the next war that we are fi ghting.
Th ey must be infantry dominated. “Th ey must work from the way to combat Boko Haram and to gain power in the fourth generation warfare, from the obvious to the compelling which is to return us from a dominated infantry force with a strong special force skills. “With every army personnel should be, in one degree or the other, either infantry or have the skills to perform infantry like functions, whether you are in the engineering or the armoured Corps. You should be able to perform in any of the infantry, because everywhere is a battle fi eld you don’t know where the fourth generation warfare will start. “Th e clear message is that the infantry dominated at the tactical level and that is where the enemy fi ghts more. With all the strategic forces you have if you do not have tactical capabilities you will be defeated.
