The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd.), has assured the newly appointed service chiefs of his prayers as they lead the fight against terrorism, especially in Nigeria’s North-Eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

He also advised the service chiefs to give responsibilities to trusted hands, while charging them to be loyal and patriotic.

The Special Adviser to President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, stated this in a piece on Friday, titled, ‘Inside PMB ’s First Meeting With New Service Chiefs'.

Adesina said the President assured the new service chiefs of his prayers and support, adding that “ victory comes from the divine powers”.

Adesina in the piece quoted Buhari as telling the service chiefs, “You know the stage we were in 2015, and you know the stage we are now, and the undertakings we made.

“In terms of equipment and other logistics, we are doing our best and will do more.

''Give officers you can trust command and support them. Respect seniority and intellectualism, but also use people who can deliver, those who show courage and leadership qualities.

But human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has argued that no level of prayers can win the Boko Haram war, noting that the Federal Government must equip the military to function optimally.

Falana said: ''They (new service chiefs) should ask for the necessary equipment to fight the war on terror.

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“Right now, the equipment is not there and I am speaking from personal knowledge and experience; I have defended more military officers and soldiers than any lawyer in Nigeria when it comes to taking them to court-martials particularly for those who are alleged to have committed war crimes or those who demanded ammunition to fight the war on terror but who were otherwise charged with mutiny.

“Some of them are in jail now and we are working to get all of them out now because they ought not to have been sent to jail. Those who stole the money meant for fighting the war on terror, the government has to recover the money and use it to buy weapons to prosecute the war on terror.

“No prayers can make you win the war on terror. You have to have equipment, you have to motivate the soldiers and honour the ones that lose their lives in the course of fighting the war on terror.

“You must also take care of their loved ones if they die in the course of fighting the war on terror. The new officers will have to address these if they want to succeed.”

Recall, the President appointed four new service chiefs on Tuesday after much pressure from Nigerians that he brings in fresh hands to pilot the country’s anti-terrorism war.

The new service chiefs met with the President on Wednesday at Aso Villa in Abuja and Nigerians expect them to hit the ground running very fast.