President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said Nigeria and the neighbouring countries in the Lake Chad region must display courage in reforming their military doctrine and practices.
The Nigerian leader noted the change in tactics had become necessary because the countries in the region were battling a “mobile and elusive irregular force” that disregards established rules of warfare.
Speaking in Kaduna on Friday at the graduation ceremony of Senior Course 45 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, he pointed out that the adversaries facing countries in the sub-region are not conventional armies engaging in traditional warfare.
The president encouraged African countries to work together against common threats, acknowledged the multinational efforts of Nigeria, Cameroon, the Niger Republic, and Chad to bring peace to the Lake Chad region.
He reinforced his message that collaboration should serve as a commendable example to be emulated and improved on, wherever necessary.
”We must also be brave enough to reform military doctrine and practice. We do not face a conventional army in the traditional field of battle. No, we contend against mobile, elusive irregular forces that disdain the normal rules of warfare”, he is quoted by the VON news portal.
”We must adjust accordingly to subdue the menace. This shall require a change in mindset, in strategy, in tactics in equipment and gear,” he said.