The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has assured Nigerians that the military will hunt down and bring to justice the killers responsible for attacks and insurgency in the Northeast geopolitical zone.

Oluyede gave the assurance during a media chat organised by the Nigerian Army in Akure, Ondo State, themed “Media Collaboration: Panacea for Enhanced National Security and Development.”

Speaking through the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Obinna Onubogu, the Army Chief said the military would not relent until the perpetrators are neutralised.

“We shall go after them, and by God’s grace, we will get them,” Oluyede declared.

He emphasised that the Nigerian Army remains fully committed to ending the spate of violence across the country, and would not allow criminal elements to undermine the nation’s territorial integrity or internal security.

Addressing recent violence in Benue and Plateau States, he said, “The Nigerian Army has remained engaged in Plateau, Benue, Kwara, and several other states experiencing insecurity. In Benue particularly, you will see, in the coming weeks, very elaborate security arrangements to ensure that all that is going on there completely stops.”

Oluyede also noted that some of the violent actors may be foreign elements, pointing out that their methods do not reflect Nigerian values.

“We are mindful that some of these people may be foreign elements. The behavior we are seeing is utterly despicable. It does not reflect any national identity or value system,” he said.

According to him, the military has received clear directives from President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action.

“The President has given very clear orders for us to go out there. And so, we are fully deployed and tackling the menace head-on,” he added.

He called on local communities to support military operations by sharing timely and credible intelligence, stressing that such collaboration is essential for success.

“The Army cannot be everywhere at once. Nigeria is a vast country, and we are not as large in number as many people believe. We rely heavily on the support and cooperation of the local population to provide timely and credible information,” he said.

“In some cases, unfortunately, the people are not very helpful in terms of the information they give out, which delays our reaction time. That must change if we are to win this fight together.”

On combating misinformation, the COAS urged media practitioners to verify facts before publication and support efforts to build national unity.

“The social media space, especially, is flooded with misinformation, disinformation, and outright lies. That is part of why we are here—to clarify issues and appeal to the press to reach out to us before putting out unverified stories,” he said.

“We are satisfied with the support we’ve received from the media so far, and we hope to deepen that synergy to ensure national security is not undermined by sensational reporting.”

Oluyede further noted that military operations are only part of the broader effort to tackle insecurity.

“The Army performs about 20 to 30 percent of what’s required. The rest involves civil cooperation, intelligence, and addressing the root causes of these conflicts,” he explained.

He assured Nigerians of the Army’s continued commitment: “Whatever it takes, we shall ensure that these activities, particularly in North-Central Nigeria, are brought to a stop. We are on the ground, and we will continue until peace is fully restored.”