Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya, has flagged off three exercises at the 6 Division Step-up Headquarters in Ahoada, Rivers State in a bid to tackle security challenges across the country.
The exercises flagged off are namely; ‘Exercises Still Waters’, ‘Golden Dawn’, and ‘Enduring Peace’.
These exercises, according to the Director of Army, Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, target mitigation of security challenges in the South-south, Southeast, Southwest and North-Central and are to run concurrently across the country.
The Army Chief pointed out that the exercises involved team operations with other Services and security agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Navy, Airforce, the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, amongst others.
Synergy
He stressed that the synergy amongst the services and agencies will provide the opportunity for them to bring their special competencies to bear in the operations.
Gen. Yahaya further stated that each exercise will address issues unique to their areas of responsibility. “The one here will among other tasks address the issue of oil theft”, he added.
The COAS equally expressed optimism that by the end of the exercises, they would have engendered a more peaceful and harmonious atmosphere for the yuletide and conduct of violent free elections. He however warned that the troops must remain apolitical and not allow themselves to be derailed.
Earlier, the Chief of Operations Army, Major General Tunde Akinjobi, said it will adopt both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to make it friendly to law-abiding citizens. He called for the cooperation of members of the public to enhance the attainment of the exercises’ desired end states.
The General Officer Commanding the 6 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Olufemi Oluyede, whose division hosted the flag-off, assured that the division would be resolute in the pursuit of its mandate, in order to achieve the objective of facilitating conditions suitable for socio-economic activities to thrive.
Olusola Akintonde
