Thread by @toluogunlesi

Very insightful presentation from Major Gen Lamidi Adeosun on the Nigerian Army’s Counter Insurgency operations in the North East since 2015. Will tweet highlights later.

Adeosun is a fmr GOC 7 Division, Maiduguri, and fmr Force Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force.

Presentation made at the Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference today in Maiduguri.

Highlights of General Adeosun’s COAS Annual Conference presentation, from the notes I took.

Gen Adeosun: Boko Haram at the height of its activity succeeded in spreading well beyond its epicenter in Northeast Nigeria. Attacked targets in Kano, Abuja, Bauchi, Kaduna, Kogi etc. As of end of 2014 they controlled 20 Local Govts in the BAY States - Borno, Adamawa, Yobe

Gen Adeosun: In Jan 2015 BH overran the MNJTF HQ in Baga, Borno State. Seized military barracks in Monguno etc. Mid-Jan to March there was some pushback, Military retook a few key towns

[My comment: GEJ Admin hired South African mercenaries in Q1 2015, before the elections]

Gen Adeosun: The tide changed for good June/July 2015, when Gen Buratai was appointed COAS by PMB. Invigoration of Military response, Military command and control center relocated to Maiduguri from Abuja on PMB’s orders in June 2018.
Op Lafiya Dole launched July 2015.

Gen Adeosun: Cooperation with neighboring countries enhanced. MNJTF revitalised, with HQ in N’Djamena, Chad. (Buratai was a former Commander of MNJTF - Multinational Joint Task Force, was actually appointed COAS from MNJTF)

Gen Adeosun: December 2015: Geidam, Dikwa, Madagali etc retaken from BH by Nigerian Military

2015 was when Insurgents began to increasingly resort to massive and desperate use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Gen Adeosun: The announcement in late 2015 that BH was ‘technically defeated’ should be taken in context of BH’s stated aim to establish a caliphate and run a Govt in Northern Nigeria. By late 2015 Nigerian Military has rendered that goal impossible, hence the ‘technical defeat’

Gen Adeosun: By December 2015 BH had been pushed to the borders with neighboring countries or isolated to Alargano and Sambisa Forests

Gen Adeosun: The military’s goal for 2016 was to consolidate on the gains in 2015, dominate territory, free hostages from BH enclaves and secure IDPs.

Gen Adeosun: July 2016 saw the launch of Operation Safe Corridor under which repentant insurgents could surrender for rehabilitation and re-integration. More than 2,000 have so far surrendered, and 300 have completed their rehabilitation and reintegration.

Gen Adeosun: 2016 was also a year in which several Boko Haram leaders were arrested, & splinter cells disrupted. Al-Barnawi of the Ansaru splinter cell was arrested in Lokoja, Kogi State, effectively ending the terrorists main hold in North Central Nigeria
google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.…

General Adeosun: 2016 was also the year the Military established a Special Forces Training School in Buni Yadi, Yobe State.

[My comment: Buni Yadi is the town where more than 50 schoolboys were massacred by Boko Haram in 2014] en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_G…

premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/…

[My comments: 2016 was the year that major BH bases in Alagarno and Sambisa Forests were taken by the military]

google.com/amp/s/www.vang…

premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines…

General Adeosun: The goal for 2017 was to clear the forest terrains (Alagarno and Sambisa). 2017 also the year the military established the Special Mobile Strike Teams army.mil.ng/update-mobile-…

General Adeosun: 2018 has seen the launch of various Operations:

Op Amni Fakat by MNJTF, “to liberate remote islands in Lake Chad which are currently sanctuaries for Boko Haram terrorists.”

Op Maza Sunzo (ongoing)

Op Last Hold, to help willing IDPs resettle into communities

General Adeosun: The military’s major concern now (end 2018) is routing the terrorists from their locations on the thin lines of Nigeria’s borders with neighboring countries, and their re-grouping and re-arming across the border with support from International partners like ISWAP

General Adeosun: Some highlights of the military’s success in Borno:

All roads that were hitherto closed because of insurgency now reopened.

@HQNigerianArmy Engineers constructing and maintaining roads in insurgency-affected areas.

Building of civil-military relations

My comment: As of PMB taking office, Airport in Maiduguri was closed. In last 3.5 years Airport has since reopened & 4 Airlines now operate scheduled flights to Maiduguri

Roads, Schools since reopened.

@ElkanemiFc resumed playing in Maiduguri in 2016/17 after 3 years in ‘exile’

@journo_anna - saw your tweet in response to the Channels TV tweet. Above is how the Nigerian Army explained it yesterday. Just FYI.