TheCable

Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, has called on internally displaced people (IDPs) in Borno north to return home.

Speaking on Saturday at the inauguration of nine gunboats for the task force detachment at Baga, he told the IDPs their communities are now safe and secured.

He urged residents in the area to leverage on the deployment of ‘Operation Last Hold’ to return to their communities “which have long been liberated by our gallant troops”.

“All roads linking communities within these areas have been cleared of improvised explosive devices as well as insurgent activities as they can no longer pose any credible threats to your daily routine,’’ said Buratai, who was represented by David Ahmadu, Nigerian army chief of operation and training.

He added that the Operation Last Hold was recently launched by the army to “further decimate remnant of the Boko Haram terrorists, ensure return of IDPs to their communities and provide safe and secured environment for the resumption of economic activities in northern Borno.

“The amphibious task force detachment is expected to work in conjunction with the ongoing naval operations to have a collective increased number of gunboats and capabilities”.