The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Leiutantant General Teodee Lagbaja on Tuesday commended troops efforts for curtailing insurgency and criminals’ activities in the country saying the good people of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States are steadily picking up their livelihood.
He said Nigerian Army is aligning with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that Armed Forces and other security agencies should “decisively deal with all security challenges facing the Country. We must continue to conduct ourselves in a manner that reflects us as a committed forces”
Lagbaja made the commendation at the opening of COAS combined second and third quarters conference holding in Abuja. The conference is reviewing Nigerian Army’s administrative, training, logistics, and operational activities and other key issues relating to the service within a quarter.
He expressed Nigerian Army gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for directing that all pending Group Life Assurance payment owed to the families of our departed warriors be paid without delay.
“It is heart-warming that to note troops activities in Operation HADIN KAI in the North East have effectively curtailed Boko Haram and other terrorist activities in the Region, he said.
“Overall, our 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.
“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 added.
COAS said that the operational activities of our 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.
“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.
He noted that through Operation UDO KA, 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.
He said ” though 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.”
General Lagbaja also spoke of some Special Force Units. He said that in a bid to further enhance troops 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 have continued to record impressive performances through intelligence-led operations and the use of special equipment.
He said as the nation continue to procure and induct more sophisticated platforms and equipment into the various theatres as force multipliers, is essential for field commanders to ensure the maintenance of these platforms and equipment to prolong their life span and enable the nation to optimize its investment.
General Lagbaja said he is aware of the critical role of sound administration and troops’ welfare in our operations adding that to this end, troops’ welfare and that of their families will remain predominant in all our efforts.
In this regard, “I intend to consolidate all existing welfare arrangements to enhance the well-being of our troops and their families “and to keep them focused on their tasks.
He said that in addition to providing befitting living quarters for our personnel, we shall ensure the newly introduced ‘Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers Scheme’ designed to provide affordable and high- quality post-service homes for our soldiers work.
We shall also ensure that our injured warriors get the best medical care and continue to support the widows and next-of-kins of our fallen heroes.