The Buhari Media Organization (BMO) has rejected and condemned what it described as insidious insinuations by Colonel Eeben Barlow, a South African soldier of fortune masquerading as Private Military Contractor (PMC), regarding the commitment of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to end the decade-long Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.
In a statement, highlighting the success of the Nigerian Security Services in countering the insurgency from 2015 to date, BMO vigorously refuted the “tissues of lies emanating from Barlow in relation to the termination of his contract in the war against Boko Haram”.
According to the statement signed by Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke, Chairman and Secretary respectively, the resolve of the Buhari administration to further train and upgrade the operational capabilities of the Nigerian Armed Forces was the key reason for ending the inherited hiring of the mercenaries.
“The inability of the PMC to react appropriately to meet emerging threats in the North East, the evolution of fresh strategies for the war and strong collaboration with our neighbours made the termination of the PMC contract necessary by the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration,” BMO emphasised.
BMO said that it is a huge achievement that: “The Nigeria Security Services have made remarkable successes in the fight against the insurgents in the North-East by pushing the insurgents from the ground they held, dislodging them from their base in Sambisa Forest, which was to stage the Nigerian Army Small Arms Championship.
“Barlow is deeply frustrated and profoundly displeased because the multi-million dollar security contract awarded to his company was terminated by the Buhari Administration on assumption of office,” the group noted.
BMO argued that these guns-for-hire elements can never erase the huge strides made by the Nigerian Security Services in consistently defeating the insurgents in scores of battles and freeing thousands of Nigerians held by the insurgents and protecting the territorial integrity of the country.
The group also recalled that as part of their strategy to annihilate the insurgents, the armed forces, under the Buhari-led administration established a fusion center in the theatre of operations for adequate intelligence gathering and sharing as well as forming a formidable synergy with neighboring sister countries by creating the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which allows for cross border strikes against the insurgents.
The Buhari Media Organisation said that the correct application of resources for the military resulted in the acquisition of the necessary hardware and platforms for waging the war against the Boko Haram insurgency.
“Investigation has since established that the previous administration had weak governance in terms of managing the war and equipping the services which considerably slowed down the dismantling of the insurgency.
“Now that the insurgency has been largely defeated, with no prospects of another contract for him, Eeben Barlow is venting his anger and frustration to throw mud at our patriotic leaders,” BMO concluded.
