Major General Tukur Yusufu Buratai, was appointed the new Chief of Army Staff by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday July 13, 2015.
He succeeded General Alex Badeh.
A seasoned military officer, Buratai was born on November 24, 1960, at Buratai town, Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.
On assumption of duty, he said Nigeria has suffered enough in the hands of Boko Haram, declaring it was time the military stamped out the insurgents.
He visited the troops in the volatile Borno central town of Konduga, and renamed the counter-insurgency operation from ‘Zaman Lafiya’ (Living in peace) to ‘Lafiya Dole’ (Peace is a must), saying that enough is enough.
“As the insurgents have refused to understand and come out to do the right thing, we must force them out. There must be peace, peace is now,” he declared.
He told troops not to wait for Boko Haram to attack, challenging them to take the battle to the insurgents’ hideout. “We have had enough from the terrorists,” he stressed.
Buratai explained that the renaming of the operation would bring new direction, new vigour and “efficiently professional army.”
He noted that the counter-insurgency operation has been on for some time up till when it was named ‘Operation Zaman Lafiya’, adding that, Nigerians had wished to live in peace but Boko Haram has made peace elusive to the people.
The Chief of Army Staff urged other collaborative agencies and the people to key into his vision in ending terrorism and insurgency in the North East and other security challenges in the South South, as well as the North Central.
He said “Lafiya Dole is derived from the belief that we must return peace to this area.”
The COAS told troops that he had been briefed about equipment and logistics challenges, promising to follow up discussions with their commanders before returning to the army headquarters.
As Chief of Army Staff, I will be actively involved in this ‘Operation Zaman Lafiya Dole’ to end the madness of Boko Haram, if I will have your collective maximum support and cooperation,” he said.
“Since Boko Haram terrorists have refused peace (Zaman Lafiya), we will now force them to accept peace.
“The peace that permeated Borno and transcended Lake Chad will soon return. My wish was to clear Konduga of Boko Haram vestige so that people can return home to rebuild their houses,” the army chief vowed.
He visited troops in trenches and other fields of operation in the general area and concluded his visit with light exercise with the troops.
However, 48 hours after his visit, suspected Boko Haram militants took the battle to the General’s home town. They burnt houses, including the family home of Nigeria’s new army chief, in Buratai, Borno State where two were killed and several houses were razed.
But Buratai remains undaunted as he said the fight against the Boko Haram would be total.
Buratai applied and gain admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, as member of the 29 Regular Combatant Course (29 RC)on 3rd January 1981.
After the successful completion of his officer Cadet training, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on December 17, 1983, into the Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army.
He has attended several courses and seminars in Nigeria and abroad.He has also served in many formations, units and training institution where he held command, staff and instructional appointments .
He was a Platoon Commander at 26 Amphibious Battalion, Elele, Port Harcourt, from January 19,1984 to September 30,1986.. He was a Military Observer at the United Nations Verification Mission II in Angola from October1 to August 30,1987. He was again a Platoon Commander at 26 Guards Battalion from September 1to November 15,1987, and later served as Company Second in Command (Coy 2ic) in the same unit from September15, 1991 to August 14,1994.
He was also a Platoon Commander at the Lagos Garrison Command Camp from August 15,1994 to April15,1995.
He has also served as Staff Officer to the Principal Staff Officer to the then Head of State at the State House from April 20 1995 to July 23,1998, before his appointment as Officer Commanding (OC) at 82 Motorized Battalion from July 24,1998 to July 11,1999.
He was Second in Command to the Commanding Officer of 81 Battalion from August1, 2000 to April 12,2000 . He served as General Staff Officer Grade 1 in Charge of Training and Operations (GSO1 Trg/Ops) at the Army Headquarters Garrison from February 14,2001 to July 14.2001.
Thereafter, he became a Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) from August1, 2001 to March16, 2004, where he was awarded the prestigious “Pass Staff College Dagger” (psc(+)) appellation.
Subsequently, Gen Buratai served as Colonel Plans at the Army Headquarters Department of Army Policy of Plans from March 17,2004 to December 4,2007,and then Assistant Chief of Staff in charge of Administrative Matters (ACOS G1) at the Headquarters Infantry Corps Centre from February 16,2009 to December 29, 2009 before his promotion to the rank of Brigadier General. He was again at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College where he served as Director of the Department of Land Warfare from December 30,2009 to January 27,2011, before his appointment as Commander 2 Brigade Nigerian Army where he served from January 28, 2011 to January 25, 2013.
While at 2 Brigade Nigerian Army Port Harcourt, he was also the Commander, Sector 2 of Operation Pulo Shield Joint Task Force. On his promotion to the rank of Major General, he was appointed Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Infantry (NASI), Jaji where he served from January 26,2013 to February 15,2014.
On February17, 2014, he was appointed Director of Procurement at the Defence Headquarters.
Until his new appointment, he was the Force Commander of the newly reconstituted Multinational Joint Task Force, MNJTF.
Source:National Mirror
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