Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, yesterday saluted the armed forces for their successes against terrorism, banditry and other forms of criminality across the country.

But he warned them that “the fight is not over”, adding that “this is the time to intensify operations and deny the enemy any opportunity to recover”.

In a statement, the retired military chief Buratai attributed the successes to improved synergy between the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force, highlighting precision airstrikes on terrorists in the Lake Chad region as a critical factor in degrading enemy capabilities.

“The soldier must never be demoralised. There is no greater honour than defending one’s nation,” Buratai said, urging Nigerians to continue to support the armed forces.

He cautioned against spreading unverified information and enemy propaganda, urging Nigerians to instead support troops through timely intelligence and moral encouragement.

The former Ambassador to the Republic of Benin urged the military to sustain the current momentum, saying although terrorists wreaking havoc in the country had been weakened, they remain capable of regrouping