Spiritual efforts needed to defeat Boko Haram — Buratai – TheNigerialawyer

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, has said that
terrorism and terrorist groups could not be eliminated alone by the
military unless religious bodies and organisations in the country
come to the “forefront of this spiritual battle.”, Punch
report.

The army chief noted that the focus must be religious groups
interfacing on addressing the ideologies which fuelled the Boko
Haram and ISWAP terrorists.

Buratai stated these on Monday in Abuja at a spiritual warfare
seminar at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre with the theme,
“countering insurgency and violent extremism in Nigeria through
spiritual warfare.”

The army chief, who was represented by the Chief of
Administration, Maj Gen Sani Yusuf, therefore, urges Islamic and
Christian clerics across the army formations to join the fight
against terrorism, and reorient the people against negative
ideologies.

Buratai said, “It is easier to defeat Boko Haram and ISWAP
terrorists than their ideology because while we degrade the
terrorists and their havens, the narrative of the ideology grows
the group.

“Therefore, communities, families, and groups should join in the
fight and narratives to reject and prevent the ideologies of the
terrorists and extremist groups.

“Religious bodies and organisations in particular who interface
regularly with the grassroots should be at the forefront of this
spiritual battle and fashion out ways of stepping up their
roles.

“The fight against terrorism, Boko Haram and ISWAP, as well as
other security threats, cannot be left to the troops in the
battlefield alone. Yes, we will do our duties but the need to
tackle groups through spiritual warfare and reorientating the
followers against the ideology is also a necessity.

“It is a well-known fact that terrorism and terrorist groups
cannot be totally eliminated by mainly military actions. This means
focusing our efforts on the underlying narratives through
ideologies that are employed by these terrorists to lure innocent
citizens to their fold.

“The need to defeat the ideologies of Boko Haram and ISWAP is
based on the awareness that it is the ideologies that enhance their
resources and help to recruit new fighters to their fold and as
such; kill their ideology and the terrorist movement withers and
dies.”

The army chief added that religious leaders and clerics who
regularly interfaced with members of the society must “fashion out
ways of stepping up your roles, remembering that the fight against
terrorism is a collective responsibility.”

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