The Nigerian army has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and other items needed to halt the spread of the COVID-19, to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Musa Bello. Similar items were distributed to Ogun and Lagos states as part of Nigerian Army corporate responsibility.

Items donated included 2,000 pieces of facemasks, 1,000 hand sanitizers, 100 pairs of PPE, 1,000 pairs of hand gloves, liquid soaps and plastic containers.

The Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, described COVID-19 as a security threat to humanity. He called on members of the public to join hands with government at all levels to fight the pandemic.

Represented by the Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Major-General

Hamza Bature, he said the donations would support the FCT in halting the spread of the virus and maintain excellent civil-military relations.

Bello thanked the Nigerian Army for identifying with residents especially at this trying period when the FCT was battling the scourge, saying the donations would go a long way to support those on the frontline to curtail the virus. He commended the COAS for his visionary leadership of the Nigerian Army.

 

Army, Miyetti Allah meet over cattle rustling, others

Commander, Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Major-General Chukwuemeka Okonkwo, has met with members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), to find a lasting solution to the incessant unrest in Barkin Ladi Local Government and other parts of Plateau State.

He said the meeting became necessary to discuss possible ways of ending rustling, criminalities and other violent crimes and ensure lasting peace in the area. He appealed to cattle breeders to eschew violence, avoid taking laws into their hands and embrace peace, assuring them that of his determination to recover all the rustled cows and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The meeting held at Barkin Ladi and attended by officials of the association in the locality, followed the recent rustling of some cows by suspected criminals. Okonkwo, said: “Appreciable progress has been made in recovering some of the rustled cows, while steps to recover the remaining ones are underway.

“The state government is aware of your predicaments and efforts are being made to address them.”

MACBAN chairman, Alhaji Shuaibu Bayero, who commended the STF commander for his efforts to instill lasting peace in the state, assuring him of the association support and cooperation to enable him succeed in his quest for lasting peace in the state.

He however appealed to him to help them recover all the stolen cattle as that was their only means of livelihood of his members. He said his members, especially the youth, had been cautioned to eschew any form of violence and desist from counter-attacks as a way of expressing their grievances.

 

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 Soldiers intercept 150 youths from Kano, Kastina in FCT

Soldiers mounting security check point at Giri have intercepted some young men numbering over 150 from gaining access into the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The youths between the ages of 15-40, who said they were coming from Kano and Katsina states tried to force their way into the FCT in a motorcycle convoy but met the stiff resistance of soldiers from 176 Guards Battalion.

The young men drove their motorcycles in a convoy all the way from Katsina and Kano states without being detected by any of the security checkpoints mounted along these routes by the various security agencies until they got to the military checkpoint at Giri in FCT near the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA).

The youth who tried to put strong resistance and tried to fight the soldiers for not allowing them access into the FCT were overpowered by the soldiers.

The incident which resulted to a gridlock on the ever busy routes, attracted villagers, motorists and other road users who hailed the soldiers for their act especially at this time when the country was battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

The soldiers gathered them at one spot and alerted the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and the FCT COVID-19 Task Force who immediately deployed its personnel to the scene.

The Minister of the FCT, Musa Bello, directed the FCT task force to impound all the motorcycles of the intruders and take them back to where they are coming from.

Some of the youths who spoke in Hausa language said they were running away from their states because of COVID-19, which has been killing their people for some days now. They said they decided to come to Abuja because it was safer and lucrative for business.

 

More hand sanitizers for Kaduna, military formations

The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), has donated more hand sanitizers to the Kaduna State Government as well as some military units and formations.

The Registrar, Brigadier-General Ayoola Abaoba, said the donation was necessitated by the academy’s desire to support the state to tackle the scourge. He assured the government and people of the state of its continuous support in these trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Permanent Secretary, General Services, Mohammed Bashir Umar, commended the academy for always coming to the aid of the state government and identifying with it at the time of needs.

The NDA also donated hand sanitizers to the Defence Industries Corporation, 44 Army Reference Hospital and 1 Division Nigerian Army, Kaduna.