Faruk Yahaya: We’ve sent many bandits to God

• Buhari promotes army chief to rank of lieutenant-general

The Chief of Army Staff, Faruk Yahaya, has said Nigerian troops have eliminated a countless number of bandits and other criminals undermining national security.

He added that they would continue to do so until the country is free of bandits and insurgents.

He spoke with journalists on Wednesday after he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general.

According to him, many of those disturbing the peace of the country “have been sent to God to go and answer for their crimes”.

The decoration of the army chief took place in a short ceremony before the commencement of the federal executive council (FEC) meeting at the presidential villa in Abuja on Wednesday.

 

President Muhammadu Buhari was assisted in decorating Yahaya by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Salamatu Yahaya, the wife of the army chief.

Following the ceremony, the army chief pledged his loyalty to the president and the country.

He said, “I want to most sincerely appreciate the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces for the confidence reposed in me and now being decorated lieutenant general.

“I want to pledge my unalloyed loyalty, on behalf of the officers and men of the Nigerian Army. We would also continue to do our very best to arrest the current insecurity, which includes insurgency and other violent crimes.

“We are already getting successes and we will leverage on that including our experience in this job and by the grace of God we will get there.”

Officials present at the ceremony were Ibrahim Gambari, chief of staff to the president; Babagana Monguno, national security adviser (NSA); Salihi Magashi, minister of defence; Ali Ndume, chairman of the senate committee on defence.

Also present were Lucky Irabor, chief of defence staff; Isiaka Amao, chief of the air staff; Sunday Adebayo, chief of defence intelligence (CDI); Yusuf Bichi, director general of Department of State Services (DSS), and Usman Baba, inspector-general of police (IGP).

Yahaya was appointed as army chief following the death of Ibrahim Attahiru, who died in a military plane crash on May 21.

Before his appointment, Yahaya was the theatre commander of Operation Hadin Kai, a counter-insurgency operation in the North-East.