18th August, 2013
The military Joint Task Force (JTF) operating in the three North-East states of Nigeria under state of emergency will, from Monday, hand over command to a new Army Division.
President Goodluck Jonathan had declared state of emergency on May 14 in three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa following serious security challenges posed by the activities of Boko Haram.
A statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by Brig-.Gen. Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information, said the command of the on-going internal security operations in the North East would enter a new phase as the control of the mission reverted to the Army Headquarters.
He said a new Army Division had been created and would take-off to continue the counter-insurgency operation with immediate effect.
“Coming three months into the mission to stamp out terrorism in the North East, this development is in line with the plans laid out for the conduct of the operations.
“The phase being concluded on Monday was executed by a Joint Task Force composed by troops drawn from the services of the Armed Forces as well as other security agencies who conducted Operation BOYONA, ‘’ he said.
He said the code-name BOYONA was an acronym derived from the names of the three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa covered by the State of Emergency declaration.
According to him, the effort was meant to constitute the first phase of the counter-terrorists operation.
He said the Army would now be solely in charge of the operations, but still under the routine guidance of the Defence Headquarters.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC), he said, in the rank of Major General was being proposed to command the new Division which would have its Headquarters in Maiduguri. (NAN)