A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Alani Akinrinade(retd.), on Thursday, in Kaduna said the Nigerian military is not the solution to the persistent Boko Haram menace in the North-East states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe as well as other parts of the North over the years.

The former Army Chief  spoke as chairman of a seminar  on the Africa’s Big Five.

The seminar has as its  title, ‘Power and Influence in Africa’.

It was  organised by Gusau Institute, a research library with interest in governance and security, owned by the former Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen. Mohammed Gusau(retd.).

He said as a former Army boss, he was not aware of any doctrine that could effectively tackle guerrilla warfare, which the Boko Haram insurgents employed to attack Nigerians.

According to him, the military solution can not end the Boko Haram attacks in the North-East.

He, however, noted that ending the Boko Haram insurgency lies with the politicians, economists and sympathizers of crisis to bring solution to the crisis.

Akinrinade said, “Let me say a word or two again about Boko Haram. I have heard a lot of discussion about Boko Haram from many people. I must say that I am lost about the causes of Boko Haram, and I am sure most of our country men are also lost. I want to charge this institute to take this matter very seriously.

“But I am not aware of any military doctrine that has been put down  that has addressed effectively guerrilla warfare, which is easier. But this kind of insurrection we are now having in our hands have never been addressed by any military doctrine successfully.

“So, I am aware that military solution is not going to be the end of Boko Haram.

“So, the ball is in the court of politicians, economists and those that have human sympathy that could bring solution to this crisis.”

Akinrinade added, “We have all agreed to treat constitutional issues and maintain federal character, but it has been bastardised with corruption that has taken over the Constitution.

“We fought the civil war to keep this country and we must honour our founding fathers because they bequeath a befitting country to us. We did what we did because the situation at that time dictated so.”

Akinrinade was a member of the Supreme Military Council during the military regimes of General Murtala Muhammed and Olusegun Obasanjo between 1975 and 1979. He was Chief of Army in 1979.