The Chief of Army Staff has ordered troops of the Nigerian Army’s 2 Division to intensify offensive operations and decisively flush out bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements operating within their Area of Responsibility.
The directive was issued during the Army Chief’s maiden operational visit to 2 Division at Odugbo Barracks, Ibadan, underscoring renewed top level pressure on criminal networks across the division’s operational space.
According to a statement signed by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, commended officers and soldiers of the division for their resilience, professionalism and operational effectiveness in confronting banditry, kidnapping and related crimes.
“I have been thoroughly briefed on your operations and the remarkable successes you have recorded,” the Army Chief said.
“Go after the kidnappers and other miscreants wherever they are, whether in the bushes, forests or their hideouts, and ensure these criminal activities are reduced to the barest minimum,” he charged.
Lieutenant General Shaibu stressed that sustained offensive pressure remained critical to degrading criminal capabilities and restoring security across affected communities within the division’s Area of Responsibility.
Beyond operations, the Army Chief reaffirmed his commitment to improving troop welfare, describing morale as a decisive factor in operational success. He disclosed that approvals had been granted for the renovation of existing accommodation and the construction of new residential facilities within Odugbo Barracks.
He further urged officers and soldiers to take ownership of existing facilities and ensure proper maintenance to sustain a conducive living and operational environment, noting that welfare remains a central pillar of his command philosophy.
The visit formed part of ongoing engagements by the Army leadership aimed at strengthening frontline operations, boosting troop morale and reinforcing the Nigerian Army’s resolve to confront internal security threats across the country.