‘Surrender or face the full wrath of law’, Army Chief warns terrorists

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Faruk Yahaya has sounded a word of warning to terrorists and other criminal elements disturbing the peace of the nation to desist or face the full wrath of the law.

He gave the warning in an interview with pressmen at the graduation ceremony of Exercise Restore Hope lV in Kachia, Kaduna State.

The Army Chief expressed satisfaction with quality of training and discipline instilled in the specially trained forces, adding that the army would confront headlong all territorial threat and security challenges confronting the nation.

He said the five months training was designed to meet peculiar and complex security needs and challenges of the country and above all, to meet up with modern ways of waging asymmetric warfare.

He disclosed that the three previous trainings of men of Operation Restore Hope were done by the nation’s foreign partners, adding that the fourth which graduated 637 troops was conducted by instructors of the Nigerian Army.

The General underscored the need for improved training which he described as key and foundation of success, particularly to military regimental and operational duties.

While urging the beneficiaries to apply skills and strategies learnt in the army’s quest to protect territorial integrity of the nation, the General assured that the combat programme would be sustained.

“The Exercise Restore Hope series provides the platform for the Nigerian Army to sustain its efforts to

adequately prepare our soldiers for operations in our complex and ever-changing security environment.

“Judging from the numerous benefits and impact of the exercise, this series of training will continue in the Nigerian Army. Consequently, preparations are almost completed for Exercise Restore Hope V with the bulk of its troops coming from the young soldiers that passed out from Depot Nigeria Army last Saturday 13 May 23. Training will always be given prime of place in the Nigerian Army under my watch.

“I am glad that for the first time, this training was successfully conducted by our instructors without foreign partners advisory roles performing.

 “The training has no doubt equipped the gallant troops with skills and competencies required to effectively carry out various scales of operations in defence. I therefore urge you to effectively apply these skills in the planning and conduct of operations wherever you may be deployed,” he said.