Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has responded to the former militant leader, Asari Dokubo, challenging him to face the military on the battlefield if he believes he can match their strength.
Dokubo, in a viral video released last Saturday, claimed that two helicopters hovered over his home for more than 30 minutes. The 60-year-old perceived this as an act of provocation from the government, the police, and supporters of Nyesom Wike, the former Rivers State Governor and current FCT Minister.
He warned that if the helicopters were shot down, it would not be his fault.
“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, Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, mocked Dokubo’s claims, daring him to come to the battlefield and see how the military operates.
He stated, “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.”
Addressing broader security issues, Buba clarified, “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.”