ARMY LAUNCHES JOINT SECURITY OPERATIONS TO COMBAT CRIMES IN SOUTHEAST & TWO OTHER ZONES
REPORTER: CHRISTIAN NWANGENE
Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, has launched a joint security operations for the South-east, south-west, and the south-south geo political zones, including part of North Central zone of the country.
The exercises codenamed ‘Golden Dawn’ for the South East; ‘Exercise Still Waters’, for the South-South; and ‘Exercise Enduring Peace’ will cover Lagos and the South-West part of the country.
According to Lieutenant General Yahaya, the exercises, which are routine operations conducted yearly by the Nigerian Army, was to effectively check all forms of criminality and allow for free movement of persons during the months leading to the Yuletide and end of the year activities.
At the ceremony in Enugu, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, said the operations was to stem the tide of criminality as the yuletide approached.
“In this regard, ‘Exercise Still Waters’ will be conducted in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Edo, Cross River, Delta, Rivers and Lagos States, while ‘Exercise Golden Dawn’ will hold in Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra, Enugu and Imo States.
“Exercise Enduring Peace will be conducted in Kogi, Benue and Nasarawa States, as well as the Federal Capital Territory,” General Yahaya stated.
The Army General also explained that the joint security operations and their code names were to address the peculiarities of security situations in each geo political zones.
“The objective of the excercise is to checkmate and reduce to the bearest minimum, the prevailing security challenges in the Southsouth, Southeast, and Southwest geo political zones as well as part of North Central zone including the FCT.
“Exercise Still Water’ is designed to checkmate the incident of piracy, illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism, cultism and militancy among others in southsouth and Southwest geo political zone.
“Excercise Golden Dawn” on the other hand is to checkmate the menace of kidnapping, attacks on government infrastructure, and security agencies, assassinations and threats posed by violent agitators among others in the Southeast geo political zone.
“Similarly, ‘Exercise Enduring Peace’ will stem the tide of banditary, kidnapping, farmers pastoralists conflicts, ethno-religious confrontations as well as checkmate the influx of migrant terrorists among other threats in the North Central goe political zone and the Federal Capital Territory.
“The excercise will be conducted in collaboration with sister agencies, as well as the Nigeria Police and other security agencies including personnel from the Department of State Service, Immigration, Customs, Federal Road Safety, and Civil Defense, NDLEA as well as other stakeholders and well meaning Nigerians that will support the exercise,” Gen. Yahaya explained.
The Army Chief noted that the operations would equally provide a platform to sharpen the skills of participating troops on the conduct of Internal Security Operations and defense of Nigeria.
“The exercises will run concurrently in all Divisions Areas of Responsibilities in the South West, South South and South East regions respectively,” he stated.
He said the operations would be complimented by robust Civil-Military relations activities in identified communities.
In his words, “this intervention calls for critical stakeholders to support the Nigerina Army and other security agencies to stem the tide of crimes and criminality across the areas, particularly as the Yuletide approaches.”
The Army boss urged members of the public not to panic at sighting the movement of troops and equipment.
He also urged the people to continue to support the Nigerian Army and other security agencies with credible information on the activities of criminals in their vicinity.
“Nigerians are, pleased, encouraged to take ownership of the exercise for a seamless celebration during the yuletide,” Gen. Yahaya appealed.
On the choice of the Southeast for the launch of the operations, the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Yahaya, said Enugu and indeed the South-East was chosen for the launch of the operations in view of the emerging security challenges in the zone, as well as the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election.
“We chose Enugu for the launch because of the happenings here; also because of the successes we are recording here, just as we are recording across all theatres.
“You also know that we have election coming in Anambra State very soon; we are sending a message to all those causing problems that they must allow the democratic processes to take place.
“We will not tolerate any act that will violate the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which gives us mandate to defend civil authority, and that is why we are here.
“We have brought sister agencies, we will synergize and we will have result,” he assured.
The Chief of Army Staff, appreciated the support of the President, Muhammadu Buhari to the Nigerian Army and strategic guardians towards ensuring success of the Army in their various operations.
He reiterated that the Nigerian Army was totally committed to the defense of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Lieutenant General Yahaya, charged the troops to remain professional and responsive in the discharge of their constitutional role, alongside other security agencies that were involved in the operations.
He urged them to continue to be loyal and professional to justify the confidence the President reposed in the Nigerian Army.
Earlier, the General Officer Commanding, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, who spoke during the launch of the three new security exercises, said exercise ‘Golden Dawn’ would be used to improve civil-military cooperation through the provision of boreholes, free medical outreaches, and educational materials.
He said the exercise would also reduce criminality in the south-east to “the barest minimum.”
Major General Lagbaja urged residents to be law-abiding and support the military with necessary information to improve safety.
“The unknown gunmen are advised to surrender their illegal arms or face the brutal force of the exercise.”
“I assure them that troops for the exercise will display discipline and carry out the exercise within the ambit of the rules of engagement for internal security duties.”
The military operation, which commenced Monday, according to the Army boss, would run till December 23, 2021 to strengthen the cordial relationship between the Army and the communities, as well as combat armed robbery, pipeline vandalism, banditry, and emerging threats by gunmen.
