From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
As a strategy to overcome security threats in the North West geopolitical zone, Chief of Defence Staff, Leo Irabor, yesterday, held an interactive session with former service men in the zone.
The interactive session became necessary because most military establishments and installations are in the region.
Intimating the participants on the responsibility expected of them, both as former military men and now as civilians, Irabor told them to reignite the patriotic zeal to support the armed forces to overcome the mirage of insecurity in the North West and the country as a whole.
“The mirage of insecurity across the country and in the North West zone in particular is such that it’s beyond the conventional military.
“This interaction is coming after our assessment that most of the stakeholders within our environment, there is no other persons placed to know the nuances and contingent measures than you because you have been in uniform and now out of uniform.
“You have ears and eyes both as the military and as civil individuals. Your understanding is deeper than what some of us in the service may have.
“So, we believe if engaging with you will enable us to hear in full measure of what these issues are. We are more convinced you stand a better chances to do this because you and I are committed to the peace and unity of our country.
“Everyone is looking at you because they believed you have a magic wand as a military man. There is no excuse for many of us. We still see you as part of us even though you have retired and this is why this interactive session is very critical.
“For you who live in the North West geo political zone for example, it is even more profound because 1 Division is the premier division of the Nigerian Army. Beyond that, all our critical establishment and installations are within the zone and as such, it is the zone that must be the safest,” he said.
General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division, Major General D. H. Ali-Kefi, represented by the Commander, 51 Signal Brigade, Brigadier General Adeleke Ayannuga, described Kaduna and Niger states as the worse hit by banditry.
“Kaduna and Niger states in particular have recorded disturbing levels of attacks in vulnerable communities and schools. While the prevailing situation presents a big picture, I must tell you our efforts at 1 Division to confront this threat has beginning to yield results.”