As part of efforts to tackle environmental and social challenges of communities hosting military operations, the Joint Task Force, OPERATION EDURING PEACE kicked off a tree planting exercise and handed out relief support to Plateau communities in its corporate social responsibility efforts.
A statement by the Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation ENDURING PEACE, Major Samson Nantip Zhakom, said the event, hosted at Government College Jos, was spearheaded by Sector 1 JTF OPEP.
The General Officer Commanding 3 Division Nigerian Army and Commander JTF OPEP, Major General Folusho Oyinlola, highlighted that the initiative underlines the force’s resolve to “win hearts and minds” of the people.
“Tree planting is a deliberate step to help host communities fight deforestation and promote healthier living. It reflects the new face of OPEP, one committed to peace through both tactical strength and human-centred initiatives,” stated General Oyinlola.
According to the GOC, Operation Enduring Peace is deploying “effective coordination, mapping of ungoverned spaces, and non-kinetic engagements” to choke criminal groups and restore stability across its Joint Operations Area.
Earlier, Commander Sector 1 JTF OPEP, Navy Captain MAFana, stressed that worsening environmental degradation motivated the tree planting campaign while praising stakeholders for supporting the outreach.
In her remarks, Plateau State Commissioner for Education, Dr Kachollom Pyam, appreciated the Task Force, pledging that students would nurture the trees to revive the state’s culture of green campuses.
The event drew senior security officials, education leaders, traditional rulers, and faith leaders. Beyond tree planting, the force donated wheelchairs to physically challenged students and distributed relief materials to an orphanage home.