The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, has laid the foundation of a 200-bed capacity hospital in Maiduguri, Borno State.
He said the facility, a referral hospital, would cater for the healthcare of soldiers who sustained injuries while fighting the counter-insurgency war. Before now, the army authorities transported injured soldiers to the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna.
He said the hospital would also attend to the health needs of families of soldiers, civilians and people in the host community:
“The Nigerian Army is committed to ensuring the welfare of its personnel and families, including families of deceased colleagues. That is why we are gathered here today to boost efforts at providing effective and efficient healthcare delivery for personal.
“The hospital was conceived to reduce the rigors of traveling to 44 Army reference hospital in Kaduna. Within the North East region, the counter-insurgency efforts of the Nigerian Army sometimes resulted in casualties that required special medical care, which currently, the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital provides.
“Evacuation of personnel in Kaduna has often resulted in waste of valuable time especially, for emergency reasons.” He then prayed for the repose of the souls of soldiers who lost their lives in defence of the country.
COVID-19: Ooni donates motorised fumigator to army
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has donated two motorised modular fumigators to the 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Oyo State, to support its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the equipment would not only serve the army barracks but also its host communities to curb the spread of the virus.
Presenting the items to the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Major Gen. Omozoje, at his palace in Ile-Ife, Osun State, the Ooni commended the Nigerian Army for working to protect the territorial integrity of the Nigerian nation from terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminals at the expense of their lives.
He said but for the determination of the Nigerian Army to keep the country one, the nation would have been engulfed in calamities and crisis.
Omozoje thanked the royal father for the donation and promised to put it to proper use to benefits the barracks and host communities.
Army starts construction of Special Forces Command headquarters
The Nigerian Army has commenced the construction of the headquarters of its Special Forces Command, in Doma, Nassarawa State, to curb insecurity bedevilling the agrarian state.
Governor Abdullahi Sule said the location of the special forces headquarters was a demonstration of the collective commitment to address insecurity not just in the state but the country at large.
He said the Middle Belt would soon be a no-go area for criminals.
He said the army already has two super camps at Mararaban-Udege and Kenyehu in Nasarawa and Toto local government areas respectively.
He added that the state has Mobile Police Training School in Nasarawa Eggon and the Air Force Command Base in Lafia Cargo Airport for air surveillance within the zone.
He noted that the state, which is predominantly agrarian, like other states has been experiencing incessant clashes between farmers and herders, communal crisis, kidnapping, banditry, cattle rustling, among other violent crimes, which have continued to threaten the fragile peace and security in the state.
Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, represented by the Chief Of Training and Operations, Lieutenant-General Lamidi Adeosun, reinstated the determination of the Nigerian Army to ensure the peace and security of the country.
He said the headquarters of the command would effectively provide the necessary guide and deployment of special forces when the need may arise.
The Commander, Force Special Forces Command, Major General Maude Gadzama Ali, said the command was established to address security challenges in the Middle Belt and the country at large.
Olowo assures army of support
The Olowo of Owo, Ondo State, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, has commended the Nigerian Army for the success recorded in the fight against terrorism and other security challenges in the country.
The royal father equally assured the army of his support to help the service tackle kidnapping, banditry and other security challenges bedevilling some states in the country.
Oba Ogunoye gave this assurance when he received the Brigade Commander, 32 Artillery Brigade, Brigadier-General Zakari Abubakar, on a courtesy call at his palace in Owo. He said: “The performance of the Nigerian Army in curtailing security challenges in the country is highly commendable.
“We will continue to support the military to further the course of peace and stability in the nation and Ondo State in general,” he said.
The brigade commander, who presented the monarch with a commendation letter from the army chief, commended him for helping security agencies tackle criminality in the state.
He assured the monarch and the people of the state that the Nigerian Army would not relent in carrying out its constitutional role of protecting lives and properties of citizens.
He said: “Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin has been a lead advocate in projecting the Nigerian army in good light, considering his high profile and high esteem.
“And for also providing credible information to the security agencies in the state to tackle crime in Owo community.”
He added the army deployed troops to some strategic parts of the state including Arimogija, Owo and Oba Akoko.
Buratai donates SUV to NIPR
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, on Thursday in Abuja, donated an Innosson SUV to the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) .
He said the presentation was in line with the Nigerian Army’s corporate social responsibilities, adding that the gesture was to strengthen and enhance the civil military relationship with organisations.
Represented by the Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Major-General Hamza Bature, he commended the cordial relationship between the army and the institute over the years, said it was only natural for the army to reciprocate the gesture.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the NIPR president, his vice, Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, Mr. Bashir Adeniyi, commended the service in the terrorism war and other internal security operations in the country.