The Nigerian Army has assured local hunters under the Vigilante/Hunters Association in Borno that they are ready to collaborate with them in the ongoing counter insurgency operations against Boko Haram in the region.
According to a statement by Brig.-Gen Texas Chukwu, the army spokesman, the Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division, Brig.-Gen. Abdulmalik Biu, gave the assurance when he met with the members of the association led by its Chairman, Alhaji Maigana Maidarma.
Biu noted the hunting prowess of members of the association and their familiarity with the terrain of the state and urged them to proffer solutions that would help in effectively checkmating the menace of the Boko Haram terrorists.
He said the meeting was timely and would afford them an opportunity to discuss possible ways towards ending insurgency in the region.
Biu called on them to provide credible and intelligence information that would assist in the apprehension of the terrorists,, adding that fighting insurgency requires collective effort.
Earlier, Maidarma, assured the GOC of their support and promised to leverage on the association’s knowledge of Sambisa forest in assisting the army in its operations.
He, however, enumerated some of the challenges confronting the association to include lack of mobility and weapons to engage the insurgents.
