Zulum commissions Tukur Buratai institute for war, peace

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has commissioned the Tukur Buratai Institute for War and Peace to overcome the challenges of terrorism.

The decade-long Boko Haram insurgency has claimed 36,000 lives with destruction of $9 billion (N3.42 trillion) worth of property in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

While appreciating the Army’s foresight for the institute at weekend, the Governor said the debilitating effects of Boko Haram insurgency in the state and neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon are self-evident.

He said: “ The state is the worst affected with many citizens still in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.

“I’m not unaware of where we were before the inception of the Buratai
administration and his leadership and successes recorded by the military in the war against terror.”

“With the level of destruction of infrastructures, and displacement of people from their communities, we have the task of rehabilitating them. The task before us now, is to return the people to communities and restart their means of livielihoods.”

He stated that the state government in partner with the army is devoting its limited resources to empower and encourage the people return to communities.

According to him, the state government shall work with the institute to design a template and programmes for peace building, reconstruction and development of communities.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, lamented that one of the greatest challenges facing the world today is terrorism and the huge toll its taking on human lives.

While commending troops’ for their sacrifices defending the country, he said
the Nigerian Army will continue to treat their welfare and families with topmost priority.

Buratai said the institute is aimed at training and capacity building for military personnel, as well as civilians in counter-terrorism and insurgency, humanitarian responses, peace building and construction.

The institute has six centres, including research, documentation, counter-terrorism and insurgency, cyber security, strategic communication and centre for museum and archives.

Vice Chancellor of Nigerian Army University, Biu, Prof. Kyari Mohammed said the conversion of the museum to an Institute of War and Peace (IWAP), is part of the army’s efforts of defeating the Boko Haram insurgency not only by kinetic force.