The Nigerian military has issued a direct challenge to former militant leader Asari Dokubo, inviting him to observe their capabilities on the battlefield firsthand.
This challenge comes in response to Dokubo’s recent claims that he could shoot down a military helicopter near his home and that he could contain the Nigerian military’s operations.
In a statement released on Thursday, October 10, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, dismissed Dokubo’s statements as “laughable” and urged him to face the military in combat. “The idea that he could shoot down military helicopters is amusing, and I can hardly take that seriously,” Maj. Gen. Buba remarked. “We operate within a democratic framework and must act professionally, rather than retaliate impulsively to someone’s comments. Otherwise, we’d be seen as undemocratic.”
Maj. Gen. Buba asserted that Dokubo would be subdued if he chose to engage the military and called on the appropriate security agencies to handle the situation. “He lacks the capability for such actions, but I will defer to the relevant security forces to manage this. Our mission is to confront him on the battlefield and neutralize him. He should challenge us there and witness our response,” he added.
Buba reaffirmed that the military’s primary focus is on combating terrorism across Nigeria. He clarified their classification of the enemy: “Our true adversaries are the terrorists. While different regions may label them differently—some calling them bandits in the northwest and northeast—they are all terrorists, and we must name them as such.”
He further detailed the military’s ongoing operations, noting that over 300 terrorist commanders have been eliminated in the past three quarters. “Our aim is to weaken their combat capabilities and diminish their military potential, and we have been successful in that endeavor,” he stated.
Maj. Gen. Buba also highlighted significant progress, mentioning the large cache of weapons and ammunition recovered, which bolsters their efforts against insurgency across the nation.
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