The Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Toareed Abiodun Lagbaja, says the Army has acquired and taken delivery of some modern equipment and other combat enablers to enhance theatre operations across the country.
General Lagbaja stated this at the fourth quarter 2023 Nigerian Army Civil-Military Cooperation Media Chat with the theme “Media as a Force Multiplier in Nigerian Army Operations,” held in Sokoto State.
According to him, the Army institutionalised measures to enhance professionalism among troops through comprehensive training, workshop and detailed equipping to ensure troops discharge their constitutional roles effectively.
“Modern equipment have been deployed to various theatres and provision of more have been finalised.
“The new addition to our operational capacity has been deployed and their effects are being witnessed across various theatres of operations.
“Its with consonance of with my command philosophy, measures have been put in place to ensure that our troops are well trained, and motivated to adequately discharge their constitutional responsibilities.
“The culmination of these efforts is an increasing tempo in all our operations and some remarkable successes across the theatres,” he said.
General Lagbaja, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding 8 Division and Commander Joint Taskforce Northwest Operation “Hadarin Daji”, Major General Godwin Mutkut, added that the Nigerian Army will continue to implement robust strategies that span relevant measures across the kinetic and non-kinetic lines of operations.
He urged the media not to provide the undesirable elements with oxygen to thrive by propagating their nefarious activities: “This is because terrorists, insurgents and other deviants seek attention and thrive on propaganda and the rain of fear on well-meaning citizens.”
He further charged the media to always be guided by the overall interest of the country and the need for a peaceful environment to drive socioeconomic development.
He assured that the Army would continue to explore more avenues to effectively engage the media to enhance the efforts of troops on the battlefield.
The Army Chief and Special Guest of Honour commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support for the implementation of the national security imperatives of the Nigerian Army and the confidence he reposed in them.
Earlier, the host, Chief of Civil-Military Affairs Maj. General Nosakhare Ugbo, said the media chat for the fourth quarter of 2023 has been designated and conceptualised to galvanise the media as a force multiplier in Nigerian Army operations.
General Ugbo assured that the Army is poised to continue to engage with the media to initiate more proactive actions towards enhancing the troops operational activities.
He further encouraged the participants to use the opportunity to cement the existing partnership between the media and the Nigerian Army.
General Ugbo expressed his appreciation to the Chief of Army Staff, Lit. General Toareed Lagbaja, for his continued support and making available resources to organise the event.
The highlight of the media chat was the presentation of lectures by Major General Usman Muhammad (rtd) on the topic Towards Effective Civil Military Cooperation Line of Operations of the Nigerian Army: The Role of the Media and “The Role of the Media in Tackling Insecurity in Nigeria: The Army in Perspective by Brig. General Usman Kukasheka (rtd).
Others were presentations of souvenirs to discussants, moderators and participants.
