The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, has said that the the Boko Haram insurgents has developed strong links al-Qaeda networks in West and Central Africa.
Badeh gave this indication while playing host to the members of Social Welfare Network Initiative, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, on Wednesday.
“We have evidence of people outside Nigeria fighting with Nigeria so it is no longer Boko Haram, it is Al- Qaeda we are fighting but we will confront them.
“You are aware that we have international partners working with us to release our girls and our girls should be released.
“If we eliminate all our young women who will replenish Nigeria? If we eliminate all our young who will power the engine of state so we must do something,” he stated.
According to Badeh, the Nigerian military would not be distracted from its statutory responsibility of defending the constitution and the territorial integrity of the country.
“We have people here; all they do is to criticise the military. If you disparage the military and demoralise them, what next will you do?
“Are you going to give guns to civilians, when you know that to be a military takes some processes? If you continue to criticise, disparage and demoralize the military what do you think will happen” he asked?
