The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has directed troops of the Nigerian Army under 2 Division, Nigerian Army to intensify security operations and decisively dismantle criminal networks operating across the South-West.
The directive was issued during the COAS’s operational visit to the headquarters of the 2 Division in Ibadan, where he addressed officers and soldiers drawn from various brigades and battalions under the division’s area of responsibility.
Lt.-Gen. Shaibu charged the troops to go on the offensive against bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers and other non-state actors, stressing that criminal elements exploiting forests, border communities and highways in the region must not be allowed to regroup.
He reminded the troops that although the South-West is often perceived as relatively calm, recent spikes in kidnapping, highway robberies, cult violence and attacks on rural communities show that criminals are adapting and relocating, making sustained military pressure necessary.
The COAS specifically urged commanders to:
Strengthen intelligence-driven operations
Deepen inter-agency collaboration with the police, DSS and other security services
Improve civil-military relations to encourage timely intelligence from local communities
Maintain discipline, professionalism and respect for human rights during operations
Lt.-Gen. Shaibu also warned that any act of indiscipline or abuse of civilians by soldiers would be met with strict sanctions, noting that public trust remains critical to winning the internal security war.
The 2 Division, which covers Oyo State, Ogun State, Ondo State, Osun State, Ekiti State and parts of Lagos State, has in recent months recorded several joint operations targeting criminal hideouts in forests along inter-state corridors.
Senior officers of the division, in their briefings, assured the Army chief of the troops’ readiness and commitment to sustaining momentum until criminal elements are neutralised and lasting peace restored in the region.
The COAS reaffirmed the Federal Government’s resolve to provide the military with the necessary logistics, welfare support and equipment required to effectively prosecute internal security operations nationwide.
Abuja Network News
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