As the military on-slaught to dislodge Boko Haram enters a new stage, and the agreement between the Federal Government and Boko Haram sect is breached severally, the Army High Command in Abuja has removed the former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 division Jos, Major General Mohammed Zaruwa.
General Zaruwa, according to sources would be posted to the Defence Headquarters where there are vacancies for top army generals following retirements of three generals, two of them after 35 years in service, and one compulsory retirement.
Meanwhile, a new GOC,Major General F.O.Alli has been appointed for the 3 armoured division of the Nigerian Army.
General Alli was until his appointment, the Director of Operations at Army Headquarters. He has served as the Brigade Commander in Yola prior to his posting to Army Headquarters and had battled the terrorists previously. He was also at a time, the Principal General Staff Officer to the minister of defence.
General Zaruwa who had been in the forefront of the battle to recapture communities taken over by the terrorists in Adamawa and Borno states personally led the onslaught that wiped out hundreds of the terrorists in Vimtim, the home town of the Chief of Defence Staff,and during the advance on some communities in Bazza, Michika, and Gulak last month and early this month.
The Senior officer, who was the Military Adviser of Peacekeeping operations to the Minister of Defence before his appointment early this year as GOC, is highly rated in the military circles
When Saturday Vanguard sought to find out why the GOC was recalled, a source disclosed that it was a routine ‘Change of Guard’ posting which cannot be attributed to any shortcoming.
It will be recalled that shortly after the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between the Federal Government and Boko Haram sect; the terrorists breached the agreement by attempting to catch Nigerian soldiers unawares in Damboa, a strategic community close to Maiduguri, hoping that the directive by the Chief of Defence Staff not to attack will be heeded.
Saturday Vanguard was however told that despite the directive to ceasefire, military commanders were told to use their prerogative to defend their positions if attacked. Hence the plot by the terrorists to attack Damboa thinking that soldiers will fold their hands and allow them was quickly understood and they were repelled.
Since then, the terrorists have attacked communities in Adamawa State, abducting women andyoung girls while detonating of bombs in Bauchi and several other places in the North East
