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Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, has gone spiritual with the ongoing counter-surgency war with the launching of a spiritual warfare seminar in Abuja.
The seminar entitled “Countering insurgency and violent extremism in Nigeria through spiritual warfare,” which is the first of its kind, was organised by the Nigerian Army Directorate of Chaplain Services Roman Catholic, Protestant and Directorate of Islamic Affairs.
The seminar had in attendance Islamic and Christian religious chaplains and imams drawn from all army formations, units and operation theatres of the Nigerian Army across the country.
Buratai said going spiritual with the counter-insurgency war had become necessary to re-orient the people against what he described as “warped and senseless ideologies.”
He therefore called on religious leaders, families and groups to join in the fight against terrorism, and other security challenges through spiritual means.
Represented by the Chief of Administration at Army headquarters, Maj General Musa Yusuf on the occasion, Buratai said: “It is easier to defeat Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists than their ideology because while we degrade the terrorists and their havens, the narrative of the ideology grows the group.
“Therefore, communities, families and groups should join in the fight and narratives to reject and prevent the ideologies of the terrorists and extremist groups.
“Religious bodies and organisations in particular who interface regularly with the grassroots should be in the forefront of this spiritual battle and fashion out ways of stepping up their roles.
He said: “The fight against terrorism, against BHT and ISWAP as well as other security threats cannot be left to the troops in the battlefield alone. Yes we will do out duties but the need tackle groups through spiritual warfare and reorientating the followers against the ideology is also a necessity.”
Very Rev Dr Uche Obodoechina delivered the lecture on countering insurgency and violent extremism, through the preaching and teaching of Biblical/Christian injunctions, while Architect Abu Jabir Abdullahi Penabdul delivered a lecture on the Islamic perspective of tackling and containing the activities of violent extremists through Islamic injunction according to the Holy Quran on the occasion.
