By Linus Aleke
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, on Tuesday, said that the activities of the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with sister services and other security agencies, in the North East have effectively curtailed activities of Boko Haram and other criminal elements in the region.
He noted that these efforts have resulted in the large-scale surrender of members of the terrorist groups and the submission of a large cache of arms and ammunition.
General Lagbaja said this, while declaring open, the Chief of Army Staff Combined Second and Third Quarters Conference 2023, at Army Headquarters Command Officers Mess 1, Asokoro, Abuja.
The COAS said, the good people of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States are steadily picking up their livelihood as the military, in collaboration with the government, is helping to restore governance to the hitherto deprived areas.
He said that the operational activities of troops in Operation Hadarin Daji and Operation Whirl Punch have also greatly checkmated banditry and insurgency in the North West and North Central regions of the country.
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He said: “We have equally heightened our efforts in containing criminalities perpetrated in the South East Region by the Indigenous People of Biafra and Eastern Security Network. Through Operation Udoka, our troops have, in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders, put an end to the infamous sit-at-home order that has almost crippled socio-economic activities in the region. Law-abiding citizens of the region now go about their businesses and everyday life. Similarly, our joint efforts with various government agencies have quelled attempts by criminals to disrupt economic activities in the South West region. Our troops’ upscaled anti-illegal oil bunkering operations in Operation Delta Safe in the South-South region have also yielded tremendous outcomes. Although we are not there yet in terms of the level of success we hope to achieve in our anti-illegal bunkering operations; there is no denying the fact that we have seen appreciable improvement in the country’s daily crude production.
“As you are aware, all military operations come at a cost, the quantum of which can not be accurately determined before they are incurred. To this end, it is an open secret that we have sometimes suffered painful setbacks and have paid for our successes in blood and treasures. However, I am glad to observe that we have remained resolute in our drive to deny all criminal elements in our society respite, as their dastardly acts have only strengthened our resolve to intensify our onslaught against them”.
General Lagbaja averred that in a bid to further enhance its operational effects, the Nigerian Army has established some Special Forces units using specially trained personnel to tackle various criminalities across the country.
The Special Forces units, he said, have continued to record impressive performances through intelligence-led operations and the use of special equipment.
“As we continue to procure and induct more sophisticated platforms and equipment into the various theatres as force multipliers, I charge field commanders to ensure the maintenance of these platforms and equipment to prolong their life span and enable the nation to optimize its investment,” the Army Chief further posited.
General Lagbaja who used the opportunity to unveil his Command philosophy to the principal staff officers, formation commanders, and other appointees, noted that his command Philosophy would guide and drive their actions and engagements as he led the Nigerian Army into becoming a force ready to operate and respond to any form of threat in any domain and spectrum, within and outside the boundaries of Nigeria through joint efforts.
Earlier in his address of welcome, the Chief of Policy and Plan, Army, Major General AB Ibrahim, said, the conference is indeed unique as it is the maiden quarterly conference under the astute leadership of the current chief of army staff.
He noted that the contributions and inputs of participants during the conference will help the Nigerian Army consolidate its successes towards chatting a progressive cause in reshaping the future of the Nigerian Army
This conference, he said is timely as it is intended to provide a conducive environment for the service to brainstorm and have a firm deliberation on the state of affairs of the Nigeria Army as well as plan for other activities for the security of our beloved nation.
“The conference will also most importantly create an avenue for the Chief of Army Staff to physically convene his command philosophy to the principal staff officers, field commanders, head of institutions and establishment,” he said.
The highlights of the conference were the presentation of the new Toyota Hilux Van to eight deserving Army Warrant Officers (AWOs).
One of the recipients who spoke to ThisNigeria thanked the Chief of Army Staff for the good gesture, stressing that to whom much is given, much is expected.
He noted that the prioritization of personnel welfare by the Chief of Army Staff will spur them to do more in their assigned responsibilities.
