Sustain pressure on terrorists, Shettima charges military

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday charged military commanders to sustain coordinated pressure on terrorist groups while strengthening intelligence, technology and civil-military cooperation. Shettima also cautioned stakeholders involved in the fight against insurgency to note that significant progress that has been recorded must not be mistaken for final victory. He gave this charge at the […]

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday charged military commanders to sustain coordinated pressure on terrorist groups while strengthening intelligence, technology and civil-military cooperation.

Shettima also cautioned stakeholders involved in the fight against insurgency to note that significant progress that has been recorded must not be mistaken for final victory.

He gave this charge at the National Defence College, Abuja, venue for the launching of a book written by retired Major-General Ibrahim Yusuf.

The book is titled: “Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency Operations in North East Nigeria”.

Maj.-Gen. Yusuf was the former Force Commander, Multinational Joint Task Force and ex-Commandant, Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA), among other commanding appointments while in service.

Shettima, who was represented by the Special Adviser to President on General Duties, Dr. Aliyu Modibbo, urged commanders to remain vigilant and adaptive.

He said Nigeria’s security challenges require a comprehensive, whole-of-society approach involving the military, intelligence services, policymakers, and civilians.

The vice president noted that the Nigerian Armed Forces had continued to demonstrate resilience and professionalism in the face of complex asymmetric threats.

“What Nigeria has endured in recent years is not evidence of a nation overwhelmed by danger, but a reflection of the resilience and courage of Nigerians who continue to stand firm in defence of a shared destiny,” he said.

Shettima said the North-East crisis remained both a security challenge and a humanitarian tragedy, adding that it underscored the need for sustained vigilance against violent extremism.

He emphasised that counterterrorism operations must be understood through the lived experiences of frontline personnel, whose testimonies, he said, provide critical lessons for future policy and strategy.