The Emir of Bama, His Royal Highness, (HRH) Dr Umar Kyari Umar El-Kanemi has extolled the professionalism and resilience of troops of 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in safeguarding his kingdom against marauding Boko Haram Insurgents.

The troops were deployed under the 21 Special Armoured Brigade (SAB) Bama.

The Shehu gave the commendation when the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division and Commander Sector 1 Joint Task Force North East Operation Hadin Kai(OPHK) Major General Waidi Shaibu paid him a courtesy visit at his palace in Bama, Borno State.

The Emir lauded the GOC and his troops for the tremendous efforts and commitment of troops which brought peace and tranquility within his domain.

Collaborate with the military

He affirmed that these efforts have paved way for social and commercial activities to thrive, emphasising that his people would continuously collaborate with the military in all aspects towards ending insurgency in the general area, and in the state at large.

The GOC appreciated the support and cooperation received from the traditional ruler and the good people of Bama in ensuring that troops decisively curtailed the activities of terrorists in the general area.

He gave assurance that the sector, and the Division, under his watch, would continue to carry out its assigned responsibilities with determination and fervor.

The GOC equally paid an operational visit to Heaquarters 21 Special Armoured Brigade, Bama, to assess the operational posture of troops in the Brigade’s Area of Operation.

On arrival, the GOC was received by the brigade commander, Brigadier General UV Unachukwu who briefed him on the Brigade’s operational readiness.

Dominating the insurgents

The GOC expressed satisfaction with the performance of the troops in effectively securing their Area of Responsibility, lauding them for dominating and denying the insurgents any freedom of action. He thereafter charged them to maintain an aggressive and offensive posture, while also sustaining the momentum in ensuring the all-round defeat of the remnants of the Terrorists.

Present during the visit were the Commander, 21 SAB, Brigadier General UV Unachukwu, Comd 37 Arty Bde, Brig Gen NUC Ogili, Comd 57 Sig Bde, Brig Gen AJ Ahmad, Comd 77 ST Bde, Brig Gen JB Adams, other formations and Unit Commanders, Principal Staff Officers of Heaquarters 7 Division amongst others.

Lateefah Ibrahim

The newly appointed General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Aminu Chinade has urged his Commanders and Principal Staff Officers to remain neutral in the upcoming general elections.

He assured the people of Southeast that troops of the 82 Division would continue to discharge their constitutional mandate professionally.

General Chinade stated this during the handing and taking over ceremony between him and the outgoing GOC, Major General Umar Musa, at Headquarters 82 Division Enugu.

He noted that “synergy between security agencies is one of the major weapons necessary for achieving success in the defeat of criminals.”

He, therefore, called for support from sister services, other security agencies and stakeholders in the region towards achieving the mandate of ending insecurity in the region.

The outgone GOC, 82 Division, Major General Umar Musa, expressed gratitude to God. He also thanked the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya, for allowing him to serve as GOC in 81 and 82 Divisions respectively.

General Musa urged “Commanders and PSOs in the Division to extend the same support they gave him to the new GOC.”

He noted that the challenges of insecurity in the South East Region were not just IPOB activities alone but also include other criminal activities.

General Musa further urged stakeholders and the good people of the region to provide necessary information that could help security agencies effectively discharge their constitutional responsibilities.

He was recently posted to Army Headquarters, Department of Personnel Management as the Chief Personnel Management (Army).

High points of the ceremony was the signing and exchange of handing and taking over notes, decoration of the new GOC with 82 Division insignia, handing over of the command flag to the new GOC and hoisting of the new flag at the quarter guard.

Mercy Chukwudiebere

The Police has seized several locally made guns and shut down the illegal manufacturing base in Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.

The Commissioner of the Cross River Police Command, Mr Sule Balarabe told journalists in Calabar, the state capital that the several accessories used for the manufacturing of arms and ammunition were recovered at the factory alongside seven locally made single and double-barrel guns.

Balarabe said; “through credible intelligence-led policing the men of Operation Restore Peace at Ogoja arrested two suspects in Kakwe Ablessang Village in Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River State, who specializes in the manufacturing of local arms.”

“They took my team to their manufacturing factory and recovered one double barrel gun, five live cartridges, seven locally made single barrel guns and other manufacturing accessories. The suspects confessed and will soon be charged in court,” he said.

Remain focused

According to him, the command in the previous year had security challenges such as flashes of violent campaigns by political thugs, defacing of campaign posters and billboards, attacks and counter-attacks on perceived political opponents, pockets of kidnapping armed robbery, which threatened the order and cohesion of the state.

Balarabe said that despite those challenges, “the command’s move against crime and criminality has remained unhindered, resolute and focused with the arrest of kidnap syndicates, recovery of small arms and ammunition through actionable intelligence, strategic raids and effective deployments around critical infrastructures.”

The Police Commissioner, who paraded 17 suspects arrested for various crimes, said that those apprehended had illegal firearms and ammunition as well as hard drugs and charms.

Balarabe further said that “the Anti-cultism and Kidnapping squad foiled the attempted kidnap of Governor Ben Ayade’s Commissioner, while the remains of a murder victim were recovered.”

He further attributed the successes recorded in the command to a “robust synergy with sister agencies, community and youth leaders, traditional institutions and good-spirited citizens across the state.”

On the ongoing political parties campaign in the state, Balarabe advised politicians to shun politics of bitterness, and embrace sportsmanship.

He urged parents, guardians and leaders, to persuade their children and wards against being used to foment trouble ahead of the February 25 election.

The Commissioner said, “I once again enjoin parents, guardians and leaders wielding various levels of authority to persuade their children, wards and followers against being used as detractors in the election process as there would be awful consequences and corresponding sanctions as prescribed by the extant laws of the land.”

While assuring the people of enhanced policing across the state, he urged citizens to remain law-abiding.

Mercy Chukwudiebere

The National Commissioner, National Population Commission, Kwara State, Alhaji Razaq Gidado has reassured Nigerians of credible Census saying the outcome will determine the future of the Country.

Alhaji Gidado stated this while addressing trainees at the ongoing training programme for facilitators held at the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin.

He said;  “This year’s Census exercise is not like that of the past as the present one is technologically driven and the Commission has adopted the Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) data collection method which has largely reduced the use of paper forms.”

Alhaji Gidado stated that Nigerians and the nation cannot afford to jettison the exercise due to its importance as it would provide key information about persons, households, buildings, localities and the nation.

He recalled that the last census exercise held in the country was in 2006 which by international standards should hold every 10 years.

The NPC National Commissioner urged the people of Kwara to cooperate with the Census personnel by giving them all the necessary support and information required from them.

Alhaji Gidado who described Kwara as one of the first-generation states in the federation was marvelled at the low population of the state.

He stressed that it was through a population that the issue of social and economic development would be determined, appealing to the people to participate fully in the exercise.

Alhaji Gidado assured the people that the commission would give all necessary and legal support to the census personnel particularly the supervisors, facilitators and enumerators in ensuring they discharge their duties without fear or favour.

He also said adequate security measures would be put in place, particularly for those that would be posted to the rural areas.

Alhaji Gidado commended participants at the 10-day training workshop for their commitment and zeal. He urged them to concentrate more on the training programme as they would end up training the Enumerators whom he described as the most important census functionaries.

Participants at the training programme commended the commission for allowing them to be part of the 2023 census and promised to discharge their duties assiduously.

Mercy Chukwudiebere