Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, has told recruits of the Nigerian army to prepare for a move to Sambisa, a stronghold of the Boko Haram sect in Borno state.
Speaking during the final screening for 80 regular recruits at Falgore forest in Kano, the army chief told the recruits to make up their minds to defend the country against external aggression.
He said those who are not disciplined and loyal to the cause are free to leave.
“As such, you must make up your mind that you are ready to serve your country as a soldier and you should be ready, anywhere you are deployed, after your passing out,” he said.
“All of you will go to Sambisa at the end of your depot training. If you are not ready to move to Sambisa and other parts of the country, and of course, our border areas to defend our country from any act of aggression, then you have not started.
“It is not yet late, if you have any doubt if you are not ready for discipline and loyalty at any point, then you can stand up and go. There is no room for laziness and indiscipline in the army and no room for malingering.”
Buratai said the recruitment and selection would now be conducted in Falgore forest, adding all recruits will be subjected to similar process.
“This is where we will select those that will become cadets and be trained as officers as well because, at the end of all the training, the officers and soldiers will operate together under the same condition,” he said.
“As such, all must be subjected to a similar process of recruitment and selection.”