The Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Farouk Yahaya, says the Nigerian army has introduced high-breed operational tactics in dealing with terrorism and other forms of crime in the country.
The Chief of Army Staff stated this during a median military exercise code named; “Mugun Bugu” (Deadly strike) at the Nigerian Army Training Center Kontagora, in Niger State North Central Nigeria.
The Army Chief said experiences gathered by the Army in the fights against insurgencies and bandits, necessitated for the review of it’s training to involve different models of warfare, which include conventional capabilities, irregular tactics, counter insurgencies and that of terrorism.
Lt. Gen. Yahaya who said the security challenges facing the country are not unsurmountable, through effective training, and synergy, assured that the Nigerian Army along with other security agencies and stakeholders will defeat the adversaries.
“The involvement of the Nigerian Army in countering insurgencies and internal security operation across the nation, necessitated the need to prepare the Army for high breed operations and task ahead”. Yahaya added.
“The Nigerian Army has learnt lessons especially in the North East, North Central and other theater by combing conventional capabilities with unconventional tactics due to the prevailing situational environment”
“There is no more hiding place for terrorist, bandits, kidnappers and any other violent criminals that will take up arms against the State” Yahaya stressed.
Lt. General Yahaya said the increasing complexity of the prevailing security challenges in the country, which rose between asymmetric and conventional warfare, had necessitated the army to seek for new strategies and techniques.
General Yahaya who further said the Nigerian Army will not rest until peace and security is restored across the country, as mandated by President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, said that training in the Army continues, taken into cognisance the changing dynamics of the security threat.
He commended the combined ’’Mugun Bugu’’ exercise saying professional training by the various schools in the military course, and other institutions need to be blended and integrated together to operate in harmony and synergy in order to deliver and to harness outputs more effectively to achieve desired result.
General Yahaya who added that the effective integration of the skills and competency of all the courses into one decisive course for effective operations which is the essence of the Operation Mugun Bugu, further said the exercise has brought all the combat arms and combat support arms together to operate with each performing its unique role.
The Chief of Army Staff however urged the participants of the exercise ’’Mugun Bugu’’ to take the lessons leant back to their respective commands and institutions for proper and realistic training as well as retraining of personnel for the challenges ahead in line with the vision of the Nigerian Army Chief.
The commander Nigerian Army training and doctrine command, Major General Stevenson Olabanji who commended the Chief of Army Staff for the approval of the exercise, and provision of other facilities needed for the exercise, further commended Army Corp Commanders, the NATRAC commander Maj. Gen. Lukman Omoniyi, commander for successfully conducting the exercise.
Olusola Akintonde
