From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Ethnic Coalition for Peace has reiterated the determination and  courage of the ongoing military operations in various parts of the country, squash bandits and restore Peace.
In a statement to commemorate the 2022 International Day of Peace, the coalition said troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have shown courage and determination to wipe out those threatening peaceful coexistence in the country.
The statement on Friday signed by the Convener, Isiaka Gani and Co-conveners, Obi Okoro and Abdullahi Mustafa, they said that peace is a necessity for socio-economic development.
The Coalition said that news coming out from the North-East is commendable and attributed it to the efforts of the Armed Forces.
The statement urged criminals, terrorists and bandits to lay down arms as the military is invigorated to sustain ongoing operations.
According to the group, “The 2022 International Day of Peace should be an opportunity for deep retrospect on the advantages of having peace in a country. No country can make progress where there is crisis.
“We urge criminals, terrorists and bandits to lay down arms in the interest of the country. We cannot continue to spend scarce resources to prosecute an unreasonable war.
“We celebrate troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria for keeping the momentum and the positive results seen in the various theatres of operations.
“As the 2023 General Election approaches, we urge Nigerians to seek every avenue for Peace to reign to enable peaceful conduct of the polls.”