The Nigerian Army has flagged off Exercise Still Waters within the jurisdiction of the 2 Division Nigerian Army, in a bid to stem the tide of insecurity in the country.
The flag-off which took place at the Step Up Headquarters, 2 Division Nigerian Army, Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonement, Ibadan, Oyo State, also had in attendance, representatives of other security agencies in the country.
While flagging off the exercise on Monday, the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 2 Division Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Gold Chibuisi, disclosed that Operation Still Waters was aimed at ensuring the safety of lives and property within the Command’s jurisdiction comprising Oyo, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Kwara states, urging citizens not to panic at the presence of military troops across the states.
Chibuisi said the operation remains the initiative of the Chief of Army Staff to curtail insecurity, strengthen civil-military relations between the military and the people of the states in 2 Division’s area of responsibility and boost troops’ ability to tackle insecurity.
He noted that the joint operations would further boost collaboration between security agencies.
“Sister security agencies have been invited to play their statutory roles during the exercise. I wish to state that the exercise will be based on real time intelligence on the prevailing security threats in the aforementioned states and will metamorphose into real operations to checkmate criminality.”
The GOC revealed that the exercise would run till the end of 2021, saying other exercises being launched concurrently with Exercise Still Waters are Exercise Enduring Peace in North Central Nigeria and Exercise Golden Dawn in the Southeast and parts of South-South, which are to be conducted in concurrence with other operations in the North East and North West.
The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi, commended the Chief of Army staff for initiating citizen-friendly operations across the country.
He stressed the need for cooperation and collaboration among security agencies in the country, for the success of the ongoing onslaught against bandits.
Makinde stated: “Most operations we’ve had in the past, you’ll hear operation crocodile smile, something scorpion, you’ll hear names and codes that do not connote relationship with civilians. Now, we’re talking Operation Still Waters, New Dawn, we’re talking code names of operations that civilians can relate with. That means we have changed strategies, we have changed directions in the fight against insurgency, banditry and all what have you.”
He explained that the introduction of the new operations means civilians can begin to look at the operations of the military and want to be part of it, knowing that the fight against criminality is not about the security agencies alone but also about everyone coming together as one nation, one team, to fight insecurity.
Governor Makinde further promised the support of his government and the people of Oyo State for the success of Operation Still Waters.
Hauwa Abu
