The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, is seeking deepened civilian and military relations and cooperation to enable the military respond promptly to security breaches.

General Buratai made the request at a meeting with the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on the sideline of a visit to some military formations in the state.

The Army Chief also said that the pictures of dead soldiers trending on social media were not personnel of the Nigerian Army.

General Buratai spoke against the backdrop of the civil disturbances involving some military personnel at the North Bank area in Makurdi, the Benue State capital where properties and some homes were allegedly vandalised by the troops.

Governor Ortom agreed with Buratai’s declaration, but asked the military authority to show restraint at the slightest provocation by their host community.

He said both parties needed to co-exist in order to ensure free flow of information and intelligence gathering.

Buratai’s visit was to review counter-security strategies against fleeing members of the Boko Haram sect from the troubled north-east region of Nigeria.

This is also in line with the Army Chief’s statement that the military is working hard to meet up with the December deadline of defeating the Boko Haram insurgents in the disturbed region in spite of the renewed bombings by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect.

(Channels TV)

•Photo shows Gen. Buratai.