The 81 Division of the Nigerian Army (NA) on Tuesday inaugurated Exercise Still Water with the mandate of combating crime and insecurity within its area of responsibility.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 120 army personnel participated in the programme during the inauguration held in Ojota with while no fewer than 150 residents of the community benefitted from a free-medical outreach conducted by the NA.
The Divison’s General Officer Commanding (GOC), Maj.-Gen. Obinna Ajunwa, said that the exercise was aimed at sharpening the professional skills of the security personnel that would be involved in the exercise.
“The objective of the exercise, among others, is to reduce to the barest minimum the prevailing security threats in the riverine environment such as: piracy, illegal oil bunkering activities, pipeline vandalism, cultism, militancy, terrorism and some other common sundry crimes.
“This is geared toward reassuring all law abiding citizens and the public of the NA’s commitment and readiness to provide security and safety for the citizenry,” he said.
Ajunwa said that the exercise also would provide an opportunity for the NA and other services and security agencies to conduct joint operations in order to strengthen inter-agency cooperation for efficient service delivery.
“The Exercise will be based on the NA Forward Operating Base Concept and will involve Civil- Military-Cooperation activities as well as media operations.
“The exercise will be intelligence driven and will dovetail into real time operations at any moment a potent threat is encountered.
“This will be in line with the military’s constitutional role of conducting internal security operations in aid to civil authority,” he said.
The GOC expressed confidence in the exercise achieving its objective which he said would enhance further the troops’ professional knowledge, capacity in the conduct of joint operations and synergy to tackle common security challenges.
“I, therefore, urge and charge every force taking part in this exercise to collaborate and see each other as comrades in fighting a common adversary.
“We must also improve and sustain our Civil-Military relationships in order to win hearts and minds of the civil populace.
“I have no doubt in my mind that Exercise STILL WATER will achieve its mandate of checkmating security challenges in Lagos State and Ogun,” Ajunwa said.
He said that this would again re-energise internal security operations for efficient joint operations.
“It is also hoped that Nigerians and the general public will celebrate the Christmas and New Year festivities peacefully and afterwards conduct a peaceful general election in 2023,” the GOC said.
Ajunwa reassured the public that the army under the leadership of the Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, was committed to seeing the end of terrorism, insurgency and other criminalities.
“This is aptly captured in Yahaya’s vision of having a “Professional NA Ready to Accomplish all Assigned Mission Within Joint Environment in Defence of Nigeria”.
“Therefore, sharing of timely information and support to our troops in the field will to a great extent, assist in the success and smooth conduct of Exercise STILL WATER,” the GOC said. (NAN)