The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said that terrorism and terrorist groups could not be eliminated by the military alone unless religious bodies across the country come to the “forefront of this spiritual battle.”
During a spiritual warfare seminar held on Monday at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre with the theme, “Countering Insurgency and Violent Extremism in Nigeria through Spiritual Warfare”, the Army said that the focus must be on religious groups while interfacing on addressing the ideologies which fuel the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists.
The Army chief, who was represented by the Chief of Administration, Maj. Gen. Sani Yusuf, urged Islamic and Christian clerics across the Army formations to join the fight against terrorism, and re-orient 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.
“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 battle field alone.
Buratai said that military are dedicated to their duties but, there is need to tackle groups through spiritual warfare and re-orientating the followers against the ideology is also a necessity.
