Barely two weeks after taking office, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari (pictured) began honoring the promise he made to Nigerians last month to move the country’s military headquarters from Abuja to Maiduguri on Monday, reports the BBC.
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Renaming the fight against Boko Haram as “Operation Restore Peace,” President Buhari released a statement regarding the military headquarter’s move to the Borno State capital in order to “add impetus and renewed vigour” to the offensive being waged against Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram.
The move is already being hailed as a positive action taken by the new head of state given the many criticisms the military sustained under predecessor Goodluck Jonathan.
With the headquarters previously located in Abuja, critics claimed that the military remained “detached” from the war raging on the northern front lines. Others claimed that this detachment aided the government’s refusal to grant arms and sufficient support.
Soldiers in Maiduguri
Speaking to the new location, the statement added that Maiduguri would serve as “a forward command base for the chief of army staff and other service chiefs.”
As Face2Face Africa previously reported, Maiduguri is a significant city in the North:
As the capital of Borno state, Maiduguri houses many civil servants, people of note, as well as former government ministers, and in recent months, it has also come to serve as a refuge for many who have fled Boko Haram’s terror.
Incidentally, Boko Haram was hatched out of Maiduguri more than 10 years ago.
Understanding the importance of taking the capital, Boko Haram has repeatedly attempted to take Maiduguri in vain.
In addition to the Maiduguri placement, Adamawa State capital Yola will also serve as the new base for air force operations.
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