Tag: Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade

  • Rabe takes over from Olukolade as defence spokesperson

    Rabe takes over from Olukolade as defence spokesperson

    The Defence Headquarters yesterday named Rabe Abubakar, a colonel as its new director of information.

    He replaces Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade, who has attained the retirement age of 35 years in the military.

    Gen. Olukolade, who is proceeding on retirement, remains in active service till September.

    Addressing newsmen shortly after taking over, Col. Abubakar said he was aware and conscious of the security challenges in the country as well as the need for collective efforts to confront it.

    He said:  “There is absolute need for synergy of efforts and collaboration among all stakeholders to re-strategise in the area of information collection, management and determination in counter terrorism and insurgency.”

    The new director of information promised to make himself readily accessible, available, responsive and proactive in dealing with the media and other partners in the course of promoting military/media relationship.

    He promised to maintain excellent and robust relations with the media and rally every organisation to support Armed Forces operations and activities.

    Col Abubakar reiterated his intention to adopt positive measures in his resolve to promote excellent civil/military relations, thereby gaining public understanding and goodwill for troops in the theatre of operations.

    He promised to maintain the professional standard set by his predecessor, and even work hard to improve upon it by tapping from his wealth of experience and knowledge from time to time.

    Col Abubakar was born on April 7, 1965. He hails from Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State.

    On completion of his secondary education, he proceeded to obtain his Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and was later commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1989.

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  • Army deploys 700 for Liberia’s operation

    Army deploys 700 for Liberia’s operation

    … Senior officers to monitor North-east troops’ deployment

    The Commandant, Nigeria Army Peacekeeping Centre, Maj.-Gen. Salihu Uba, on Friday said 700 soldiers would be deployed for Peace Support Operation in Liberia.

    Uba said at the end of the pre-deployment training conducted for the soldiers at the centre in Jaji, Kaduna State that the personnel, drawn from the 22 Battalion, would serve for six months.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that he commended them for their professionalism, and urged them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria.

    The commandant assured that the centre would continue to expand its facilities “to provide first class training to troops and participants.”

    “The vision of the Nigerian Army peacekeeping centre is to deliver realistic training to potential peacekeepers for the multidimensional challenges of contemporary peace support operations,” he stated.

    Uba added that the centre had been discharging its role creditably, which earned it a certificate of recognition from the United Nations, as Centre of Excellence.

    The General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Maj- Gen. Ahmad Jibrin, charged the soldiers to be focused, professional and efficient in discharging their mandate.

    Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has sent a combined team of senior officers from the Army and Defence Headquarters (DHQ) to monitor the deployment of troops to the force newly formed 7 Division.

    This is contained in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja and signed by the Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade.

    It said the team would assess the level of effectiveness of the Division’s deployment in handling the next phase of the security operations in its area of responsibility.

    “They will on return to Abuja, brief the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army Staff on the present state of the mission being undertaken by the Division.’’

    NAN recalls that the 7 Division was formed recently to take over the security operations meant to check terrorist activities as ordered by President Goodluck Jonathan.

     

  • Yobe Governor commends FG, DHQ response to weekend attack

    Yobe Governor commends FG, DHQ response to weekend attack

    Governor Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe State has commended the Federal Government and the Defence Headquarters for their prompt response to the weekend terrorist attack on a secondary school in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that gunmen, suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect, attacked the Government Secondary School, Mamudo, killing 24 students, a teacher and an Islamic preacher.

    The commendation was contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ).

    The statement said the governor gave the commendation when he received the Defence Headquarters fact-finding team in his office in Damaturu.

    Geidam said he was happy with government’s prompt response by sending the fact-finding team to the state.

    “The governor noted that the gesture was the first of its kind in response to a disaster in the state.

    “He also declared that the Joint Task Force deployed in the state was doing its best in addressing the security challenges,’’ the statement said.

    It quoted the governor as saying that the incident in Mamudo was an unfortunate and painful disaster.

  • Military takes over Boko Haram assembly points

    Military takes over Boko Haram assembly points

    … Kills three, arrests 25

    …High profile Boko Haram leader killed

    The Multinational Joint Task Force has captured three key assembly points of Boko Haram insurgents and killed three, including a high profile terrorist identified as Abba.

    Also, the force has arrested 25 suspected insurgents during a foiled bid to invade Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

    But the insurgents succeeded in killing a member of the task force.

    These disclosures were contained in a statement issued by the Defence Headquarters spokesman, Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade, on the update on the ongoing special operation in Borno State and two others where emergency rule has been declared.

    The statement said the special forces had also intercepted messages sent to fleeing insurgents urging them not to give up but fight to the end.

    The statement said: “Troops of the Special Forces have intercepted messages sent to fleeing insurgents urging them not to give up but fight to the end.

    “The attempt by some of them to heed the call was foiled during the weekend as they were trailed to some settlements and towns towards the border where they plan to regroup.

    “Troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force carried out an operation which resulted in the capture and destruction of the insurgents assembly points sited in the outskirts of Kaneram Dan Katsina, Tumbu Dabino and Mallam Fatori area north of Baga.

    “The towns and settlements have now been secured while cordon and search operation is also ongoing in the area after the insurgents have been dislodged.”

    The statement added that while three insurgents were killed during an encounter to prevent the invasion of Maiduguri, about 25 others were arrested

    The statement added: “Meanwhile, a total of 25 insurgents were rounded up while three died including a high profile terrorist identified as Abba- who has been on the list of most wanted persons.