The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-General Tukur Buratai, has charged soldiers engaged in counter-insurgency operations to brace up for the final onslaught on the remnants of terrorists. He also charged soldiers to deploy more intelligence in combating the terrorists.
Buratai said the task of dealing with remnants of the Boko Haram terror group hiding in some areas must be intelligence-driven. He commended the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps (NAIC), for achieving tremendous results in recent times.
He gave the charge when he addressed troops of Army Super Camp 3, deployed at Buratai, in Biu Local Government, Borno State.
The COAS commended the soldiers for the successes recorded so far in combating the terrorists, charging them to be courageous and professional as they brace up for the final defeat of the insurgents: “Your efforts have paid off and have been recognised with the successes so far achieved in the counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.
“What is remaining is for us to consolidate and push the remnants of the terrorists out of the remaining enclaves as well as the areas they have been moving about in the bush, the forests and some hamlets and even some towns.
“Henceforth, all our operations will be driven from what we gather from the intelligence corps. Our operations have always been guided by intelligence but we are going to do more this time around.
“You should brace up for the final phase but it is going to be very tough and I expect you to get going.”
Buratai later launched the 500-metre access road to the camp and a 200KVA transformer to boost electricity supply to the camp.
The road was constructed by a team of Nigerian Army engineers to enhance the responsiveness of the troops from the camp.
NACOL graduates 24 officers
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-General Tukur Buratai, has attributed the successes recorded by the Nigerian Army in counter-insurgency operations to the efficient deployment of logistics to the theatre.
To this end, Buratai said he would continue to support the training of logisticians in the army as that was the only way the army would triumph in its operations. He stated this at the graduation of the Nigerian Army College of Logistics (NACOL) in Lagos.
Represented by the Chief of Logistics, Major-General Osasogie Uzamere, Buratai listed three components, namely, conceptual, moral and physical, as a major factor the army relies on to win a war: “While the conceptual and moral aspects deal with ideas in fighting, as well as the people that do the actual fighting, respectively, the physical component deals with the means to fight.
“A careful integration of logistics is a major factor towards achieving synergy among these three components of fighting power.”
A total of 24 officers graduated from the college.
Army distributes palliatives to IDPs in Southern Kaduna
The Nigerian Army has distributed relief materials to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in southern Kaduna State.
The palliatives were distributed to two IDP camps that house the natives and Fulani all in Zangon-Kataf Local Government.
The people of the area have come under persistent attacks from criminal groups with the killing of several innocent villagers and burning of their houses and belongings. Items distributed included noodles, beverages, bags of rice and detergents.
Presenting the items to the traditional ruler in the area, Commander, Joint Military Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Major-General Chukwuemeka Okonkwo, assured the people that their stay as IDPs would be short, as discussions were on to resettle them in their respective communities and villages: “We are holding peace talk with relevant stakeholders from your communities and very soon we will return you all to your villages with adequate security.”
He said the palliatives were part of the its civil-military relations from the Defence Headquarters.
The commander also addressed youths at a summit tagged “Peace and Reconciliation,” held in Zangon-Kataf LG. He charged stakeholders to put an end to the circle of violence, adding that tolerance was a vital tool to peace: “This conflict is bedevilled with ethnic dimension, but sheathe your sword and make conscious efforts to see each other as one. We also solicit for accurate and timely information to enable us respond promptly during attacks.”
AFCSC inaugurates Senior Course 43 with 230 participants
A total of 230 military officers are undergoing training as members of Senior Course 43 at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) Jaji, Kaduna State.
The participants are from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Ghana, Niger and Tanzania, while others are from the paramilitary organisations, ministries departments and agencies.
Commandant, AFCSC, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Sani Liman, charged the officers to exhibit self-discipline, respect, good leadership qualities and embrace hard work.
He described the course as a milestone in their careers, saying the mission of the college was to train tactical and operational level officers in standardised command and staff duties through professional military education to effectively accomplish the constitutional roles of the armed forces in Africa.
He expressed the hope that trust and confidence would be the watchwords of the officers at the end of the course, and warned against acts of indiscipline and examination malpractice, which he said would be detected and punished.
He urged them to obey all standing orders and rules in the college mess and socialise: “Take your personal security seriously and not to frequent the Zaria-Kaduna Road, especially at night for security reasons.”
Soldiers kill 2 bandits, arrest 154 others in Zamfara, Katsina
Soldiers on anti-banditry operations in the North West have killed two bandits and arrested 154 others in Zamfara and Kastina states.
The soldiers also recovered 38 firearms and intercepted seven trucks loaded with rustled cows along Jibia-Katsina and Gusau-Zaria roads.
Acting director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier-General Benard Onyeuko, said the troops also raided an illegal mining site on Gadan Zaima-Zuru Road, Bukuyyum Local Government, which also served as bandits’ hideout, arrested 150 suspects and recovered 20 locally fabricated dane guns. He said one of the suspects who attempted to escape was killed.
Giving an update of Nigerian Army Operation Sahel Sanity held at the Special Super Camp 4, Faskari, Onyeuko, said bandits’ activities were thriving through illegal mining activities. He said soldiers arrested one Ibrahim, a notorious bandit, in Wagini village, terrorising the people of the area.
One AK-47 rifle, one AK-47 rifle magazine loaded with five rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and two motorcycles were recovered from fleeing bandits. Troops at Daki Takwas intercepted a Toyota Corolla vehicle loaded with 11 locally made rifles and 150 live cartridges carefully concealed in different parts of the vehicle.