The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Ibrahim Attahiru, has pledged that the Boko Haram menace would soon be a thing of history.
Attahiru has also commended officers and men fighting the counter-insurgency war for their bravery, gallantry and determination in curbing the activities of the criminals.
Attahiru made this known when he visited troops of Sector 2, Operation Lafiya Dole, of the Nigerian Army in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, on a visit to the troops. The COAS, addressing the troops, said he was in Yobe on a morale-boosting visit to assure them that Boko Haram would be ended within a reasonable period of time. He said he was sure they would go out to the warfront and push the insurgents so hard and bring the entire insurgency to an end.
He said, “We have come to Yobe State to the sector headquarters to meet you, to get to know you and you get to know us as well. We promised ending this issue of Boko Haram.
“I am bringing very special greetings from the President and Commander-in-Chief, he is fully briefed and aware of how and what you are doing.
“I would like to tell you that I, personally, as the Chief of Army Staff, I am here to take cognizance and note of the challenges you have and ensure that they are addressed to ensure you have the highest level of morale to do your job and do it proudly as Nigerian soldiers.”
Continuing, the army chief said, “I am very pleased, your commanders have told me what you have done collectively as part of Operation Tura Takai Bango; how you have pushed the Boko Haram insurgents. We are so proud of you and I believe in the second phase of that operation you will do more.
“All your challenges are noted and I will address all the problems.”
He appealed to the people of Yobe State to continue supporting and cooperating with security operatives in order to deal with the remaining suspected Boko Haram members.
Operation Tura Takaibango: COAS commends Sector 2 for dislodging terrorists from Timbuktu Triangle
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Ibrahim Attahiru, has commended troops of Sector 2, Operation LAFIYA DOLE, for their exploits and achievements in dislodging Boko Haram insurgents and Islamic States West Africa Province criminals from their enclaves within the Timbuktu Triangle during the first phase of Operation TURA TAKAIBANGO in the sector’s area of operational responsibility. He gave the commendation during his maiden familiarization visit to Sector 2 headquarters in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.
The COAS further stated that he had been briefed on the challenges confronting the troops in the sector and assured them of his intervention as soon as possible. He also commended their resilience, doggedness and professionalism since the beginning of operations. He equally encouraged them not to relent but to build on the successes recorded so far.
In his remarks, the acting commander, Sector 2, Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Brig-Gen. Adamu Nura, while welcoming the COAS, assured him that the sector, under his watch, would continue to make necessary sacrifices for the betterment of Nigeria and the North East in particular. He reiterated that Sector 2 would continue to align with the COAS vision and command philosophy.
The COAS was later conducted on a tour to inspect projects and construction of new barracks for 233 Battalion in Damaturu.
Defence Ministry assures Army of support to end terrorism
The Ministry of Defence has assured the Nigerian Army of its support to defeat terrorism, banditry and other security challenges confronting Nigeria.
Permanent Secretary, Dr. Musa Istifanus, gave this assurance when he visited the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, at Army Headquarters, Abuja.
Istifanus stated that the ministry was ever ready to give support to the Nigerian Army’s operations, programmes and campaigns towards securing Nigeria, and commended the COAS for taking off on a good note by dominating the operation area, leading to the recapture of Marte and securing Dikwa from terrorists.
The permanent secretary congratulated the COAS on his appointment, describing him as a round peg in a round hole.
Welcoming the permanent secretary to his office, the COAS, thanked him for the visit and assured him of the readiness of the army, under his leadership, to defeat Boko Haram and other threats to security. He said the Nigerian Army would continue to discharge its constitutional roles in line with his corporate vision for it, which is to emplace “A Nigerian Army that is repositioned to professionally defeat all adversaries in a joint environment” while pledging that his leadership will focus on providing effective, strategic and operational leadership to enhance operations.
The event was graced by principal staff officers from Army Headquarters and Ministry of Defence.
Highpoints of the event were the exchange of souvenirs and group photographs.
NDA matriculates 541 cadets of 72 Regular Course
The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, has organized the matriculation ceremony for 541 cadets of 72 Regular Course of the academy. The matriculation marks the formal induction of the cadets into various degree courses in the military training institution.
The matriculation, which took place at the academy’s auditorium, Afaka, saw 64 cadets from the Faculty of Engineering, 113 cadets from the Faculty of Science and 202 cadets from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences administered with the matriculation oath and admitted into various degree programmes in NDA. There were 122 cadets from the Faculty of Military Science and Interdisciplinary Studies and 45 cadets from the Faculty of Management Sciences who were also conducted through the exercise and inducted into various degree programmes.
The commandant, Major General Sagir Yaro, while declaring the event open, charged the cadets to display a high level of seriousness in academic and military training during their stay in the academy, just as he assured them the academy would provide all they needed to succeed in their training.
Also, the provost, Professor Isa Garba, congratulated the cadets for successfully scaling through what he described as the very rigorous selection process required to gain admission into the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy, Africa’s leading military university. He further encouraged the cadets to be steadfast and work hard to achieve success in military and academic courses.
In his presentation, titled “Role of Military Personnel in Tackling Contemporary Security Challenges,” the guest of honour at the 9th matriculation for cadets of 72 Regular Course, Air Vice Marshal Muhammed Ndatsu Umaru (retd.), challenged the cadets to put in their best and equip themselves with the adequate skills necessary to become professional and efficient officers of the Nigerian armed forces.
GOC, 81 Division, receives first jab of COVID vaccine
The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Lawrence Fejokwu, has received his first dose of Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine at Bonny Cantonment, following the kick-off of the first phase of vaccination for health workers and frontline public servants.
The GOC, while receiving the vaccine, urged officers and soldiers of the division to make themselves available for the vaccine and follow all guidelines necessary to defeat the virus, which has infected over 117 million people globally since December 2019.
In an address on the occasion, the representative of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Mrs. Bamidele Florence, said the Astrazeneca vaccine, which arrived Nigeria last week, was being administered in two doses taken weeks apart. She further said the vaccine had 90 per cent potency and efficacy and was easy to maintain. Other officers who were vaccinated included the commander, Corps of Nigerian Army Engineers, Major General K.O. Kadiri, corps commander, supply and transport, Major General B.N. Salami, corps commander, Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Col. I.B. Solebe, commander, 45 Brigade Engineers, Brig-Gen. A. Salako, and chief of staff, 81 Division, Brig-Gen. N.J. Edet, among many others.
Boko Haram: Nigerian Army to extend onslaught to other conflict areas – COAS
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Ibrahim Attahiru says that the renewed onslaught on Boko Haram insurgents in the North East is to be expanded to other conflict areas in the country.
Attahiru stated this in Maiduguri while showing newsmen a cache of arms recovered from insurgents in the latest operations by troops.
The COAS, who is in Maiduguri for a one-week operational visit, said the onslaught would continue with more intensity: “We will continue with this; as you can see, our soldiers are highly motivated and willing to ensure the total removal of Boko Haram in the North East.
“This will not just stop here as all other parts of Nigeria will get the same treatment.”
The COAS also said that all necessary support would be given to the troops to sustain the tempo.
