Tag: COAS

The Acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.- Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has warned terrorists and other criminals still operating to be ready for serious consequences as the military will come harder on them.

Oluyede stated this at the handing and taking over ceremony at the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps, Jaji Military Cantonment on Wednesday in Kaduna.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oluyede was the 56th Commander of the Infantry Corps before his appointment as Acting Chief of Army by President Bola Tinubu.

The Acting  COAS handed over to Maj.-Gen. Abdul-Khalifa Ibrahim who is now the 57th Commander of Infantry Corps.

Oluyede advised the new commander to keep the flag flying, adding
that the Infantry is the largest chunk of the Nigerian Army.

According to him, for the Nigerian Army to succeed, it needs the Infantry.

He urged him to move the Infantry forward and embark on massive training that was needed for soldiers in the field.

“Nobody has a monopoly of violence besides those of us in uniform. For the criminals out there, they should be ready for a good run from us because we are going to go out all for them.

“As for Nigerians, we will try as much as possible to make it more secure for them under my watch,” he said.

Earlier in his remarks, Maj-Gen. Ibrahim thanked the acting COAS for his many years of dedicated service to the Infantry Corps, and pledged to key into his vision for the infantry and Army in general.

“On my part, I pledge to lead the Infantry with integrity, courage, honour and utmost dedication, embracing best practices in all I do.

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“To my brave and dedicated fellow infantry men both officers and soldiers, I recognise the sacrifices, resilience and valour that defines our infantry tradition.

” Your selflessness, teamwork and unwavering loyalty inspires all of us, ” he said.

Ibrahim urged the personnel to continue to embrace the Army’s core values of loyalty, integrity, discipline, selfless service, respect for others and courage in the discharge of their responsibilities.

NAN reports that the new Commander Infantry Corps is a member of the 39th Regular Course Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), and hails from Damboa LGA of Borno State.

In the course of his illustrious career in the Nigerian Army, he was acting Garrison Commander in 1 Division Kaduna, Commander 14 Brigade, General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Maiduguri and also commanded the MultiNational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in N’djamena, Chad.

(NAN) 

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Col. Taoreed Lagbaja has expressed concern over the low representation of Rivers State, as well as the South-South and Southeast regions, in Army recruitment efforts.

Brig.-Gen. Wiito Nzidee, the Acting Director of Supply and Transport Services at Army Headquarters, Department of Army Logistics (DOAL), made this statement and urged stakeholders and leaders in Rivers to motivate their youth to pursue careers in the security forces.

Nzidee, who was particular about Rivers, spoke when he led a sensitization team on the ongoing Nigerian Army 88 regular intake for trades/non-tradesmen and women, to Rivers State on Tuesday.

The team arrived in Rivers with the sole aim of sensitising the people on the need to motivate their youths to join the military.

Nzidee disclosed that Rivers was leading other states in the south-south with the lowest representation in recent recruitments into the Army, lamenting that Rivers was not utilising its quota in army recruitments

He insisted that the COAS was worried by the development saying it was the reason he sent them to visit the state and sensitize the indigenes, and encourage the youths to take advantage of the ongoing recruitment to join the military.

He said: “The Chief of Army Staff in his wisdom has sent us to carry this message to the nooks and crannies of not just the Niger Delta but of course, Rivers State that you are not utilizing your quota in the Nigerian Army.

“It is the responsibility of every state in Nigeria to contribute to national security. If Rivers State does not utilize its quota the Nigerian Army, who helps the state to contribute to national security? We have to make our contributions by encouraging our youths to join the Army. You must not allow other states to make up your quota, so you don’t cry of marginalisation tomorrow.

“I am here again as a son of the soil that I am to emphasize on the need why our young sons and daughters need to join the army.

“The chief of army staff has carefully selected some Niger Delta officers and has asked us to use the newsmen in the Niger Delta to tell the youths of Niger Delta that they are not filling up their quota in the Nigerian army.

“I want to tell you all here today that the Nigerian army is not cheating on anybody. We are the ones cheating on ourselves because we are not filling up our quota. I was here the last time with the same message and the truth is that if we have met our expectations I am not sure I will be here again with my team for another sensitization meeting.

“This thing we are complaining about is more prominent in the Niger Delta and the Southeast and this has raised the question that why we need to always come here all the time”.

The Army General highlighted the benefits of joining the military, saying soldiers were well taken care of in the areas of academics, human capacity building/development, and medicine, among others.

He also noted that enlisting the young ones into the army would reduce the high rate of unemployment and crime in the state, in which the youths are mostly involved.

Also speaking, the Commander, 6 Division Garrison Command, Brig.-Gen. Sani Ahmed explained the mandate of Nzidee.

He said: “We are gathered here today to have some words directly from the team leader to tell the whole people of Rivers state the aim of his mission here and thereafter he will tour some local government communities to meet and sensitize their young men and women on military career in the Nigerian army.”

In a separate visit to the office of the Secretary to the Rivers State Government by the Nigerian Army sensitization team, SSG Tammy Danagogo pledged to work in collaboration with the Army to drive the message down to the grassroots.

Read Also: COAS harps on interagency communication, collaboration to decimate Nigeria’s adversaries

He said: “I want to commend the team and I want to tell you that we have been doing a lot to see that our people key into this army employment and skills development opportunities.

“In my office, we have a desk officer that is assigned that opportunity meaning each time development like this is coming up his job is to make sure they follow up and make sure that the local government chairmen are truly informed. We have sent messages across to the local government councils just so they can also sensitize their people.

“If not for the quick nature of your visit we would have met together with the local government chairmen because they are the ones at the grassroots and would work directly with their people. We notify traditional rulers and the mass media we run jingles and adverts from time to time.

“But one of our people’s complaints is particularly about the Nigeria Defence Academy recruitment. We have brilliant young men and women who are fit whose actual desire is the NDA but they always cry that they are always being overlooked.

“The truth is we don’t always get this kind of advocacy visit when it comes to NDA. We plead you also do this same sensitization when it comes to NDA admissions so that our people will have this complete sense of belonging.”

…Nigeria must solve poverty, unemployment problems

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, on Friday, September 13, said Nigeria must plan to solve the twin problems of poverty and unemployment to avert long-term insecurity and instability in the country.

He spoke while presenting the first strategic personality lecture at the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies (IPSS), University of Ibadan entitled “Combating an adversary without boundaries: The need to implement a whole of society approach to Nigeria’s national security.’

He noted: “Related to the factors of unemployment and poverty is demography and youth bulge with citizens of 35 years below accounting for about 54.1 percent of the population, estimated at 229,379,082 as of 20 July 2024. Of this figure, less than 20 percent of them are gainfully employed.”

Represented by the General Officer Commanding 2-Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Obinna Onubogu, the Chief of Army Staff maintained: “The twin problems of unemployment and poverty has given impetus to security challenges, as the unemployed and poor are susceptible to recruitment by criminals and violent non-state actors.

“A whole-of-society approach must be implemented in Nigeria by leveraging the strength of every stakeholder to ensure a cohesive and coordinated response to threats.

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“To achieve this, there must be enhanced communication, cooperation, and trust among the different sectors while also ensuring that their efforts are aligned with national interests and other security objectives.

“The strategy can potentially address the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty, unemployment, and social injustice often exploited by adversaries.”

According to him, the porous and unmanned borders of Nigeria have opened Nigeria to the infiltration of adversaries from West Africa noting that, “Four West African countries ranked among the 10 most terrorized nations of the world is indicative of the transnational affiliations existing among terror groups in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

Lieutenant General Lagbaja noted that no single agency can solve the myriads of insecurities facing the country adding that the Nigeria army is deepening synergy with other agencies to achieve the mandates of security of lives and properties and keeping the country safe.

“The operating environment has evolved to a point where no single service or agency can effectively and independently tackle the threats to national security. It is therefore crucial that synergy is developed with other security agencies in the implementation of the whole of society approach to the threats.

“Communication, cooperation, and collaboration amongst MDAs have been major topics of discussion. Although there has been some improvement, much more still needs to be done.

“Counter-insurgency operations require synergy amongst agencies, who need to collaborate towards achieving a common goal.

“Collaboration, communication, and cooperation are required for planning, sharing of intelligence, and the practical execution of all operations. Where synergy is lacking among security agencies, there can never be a coordinated approach to the prevailing security challenge.

“In the North East for example, the Nigerian Air Force provides air support, aerial surveillance, casualty evacuation and logistics airlift for troops while the Nigerian Navy has deployed its Special Boat Services and operationalized its Forward Operation Base in Baga as part of the overall operations on the Lake Chad waters.

“Furthermore, personnel of the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Immigration and Customs are deployed in liberated towns and villages in Bornu and Yobe states to ensure their security and relieve Nigerian Army personnel of policing tasks in such areas, resulting in better synergy and collaboration.”

In terms of human rights, the Chief of Army Staff disclosed that the army is providing an enabling environment for more than 60 humanitarian organisations working in the Northeast while upholding the human rights of people.

“Meetings are held periodically to put events in proper perspective for their understanding. The Nigerian Army is also providing an enabling environment for more than 60 international humanitarian non-governmental organisations operating in the North East.

“For instance, escorts are frequently provided to these organisations to different areas in furtherance of their humanitarian activities. Confidence is, therefore, built with all the stakeholders, thereby reducing the number of allegations against the Nigerian Army on human rights issues.

“In the contemporary era, issues of technology particularly artificial intelligence, social media, and cyber security have reshaped national security imperatives as the contemporary security threats are no longer tangible but intangible threats dominated by networks of NSAs who have eroded the ability of nation states to effectively emplace measures to enhance national security.

“Contemporary threats have a high capacity to disrupt, damage, and destroy people, assets, and infrastructure.”

Earlier In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale noted that the IPSS has been at the vanguard of training security manpower and working with security sector actors towards improving the security of the country.

He expressed confidence that the Nigerian Army will evolve an effective strategy to decimate the adversaries of Nigeria.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has vowed that the army will respond with force against unknown gunmen carrying military-grade weapons.

Lagbaja, who spoke at the Headquarters of 6 Division, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday, July 11, said the response would be swift enough to protect innocent citizens from harm.

Lagbaja was at the 6 Division headquarters to inaugurate completed projects executed by the division’s General Officer Commanding (GOC), Maj.-Gen. Jamal Abdussalam and to close the Chief of Army Staff Second Commanding Officers’ Workshop, which began on Tuesday.

Lagbaja, who was accompanied by the Army Public Relations Officer, Brig. Gen. Nwachukwu, and other senior officers, said he had been touring the formations and units under the 6 Division since Wednesday.

He said the army would continue to respond to all security threats in the Southeast and other parts of the country in accordance with laid down procedures.

He said: “The Army will continue to respond to all those security threats in accordance with laid down constitutional provisions and the procedures in our book.

“The soldiers will respond in line with our code of conduct and rules of engagement. And so for all security threats, the Army will respond appropriately.

“For people, who are carrying military-grade weapons openly, troops will respond with force to protect law-abiding citizens to protect our equipment that they are deployed in the population space and to secure their own lives.

“And so what has happened with the attacks on the troops in the past, I believe it’s is one-off thing but the troops will continue to operate within this environment to ensure that peace is sustained.”

On his tour of military formations, he said: “Since yesterday (Wednesday) morning, I have been engaged in a tour of formations and units of the Nigerian Army under the 6 Division area of responsibility.

“I was in Uyo which is the 2nd Brigade area of responsibility. The security situation in this area of responsibility has generally improved; all thanks to the work that our troops are doing and the support of the stakeholders especially the government at the sub-national level and other critical stakeholders in our society.”

Lagbaja commended all stakeholders in the region for their support of the troops especially in the provision of timely information.

He thanked the state governments for providing the enabling environment and logistics support for the troops to operate effectively.

“I want to assure them that our troop will continue to work to ensure that the security situation is improved upon to achieve the objective of overall economic development and even push into other frontiers across the country” he said.

He said the workshop titled: “Enhancing Tactical Level Command and Leadership in a Joint Environment” was designed to equip commanding officers with requisite skills and competencies and enhance their performance in the increasingly complex security environment.

He said it was evident from the deliberations conducted during the workshop and the briefs he received that the objectives of the summit had been achieved.

Lagbaja said commanding officers were key in the accomplishment of his command philosophy to transform the Nigerian Army into a well-trained and highly motivated force towards achieving constitutional responsibilities in a joint environment.

He said they were trained to understand their contemporary command environment characterized by technological advancements, social media culture, high population rate, and its associated unemployment, amongst others.

Lagbaja noted that during the workshop, discussions focused on tactical-level command and leadership in the contemporary security environment, implementation of the Nigerian Army’s training directives for 2024, merging administrative issues in units, civil-military cooperation, equipment maintenance, digital transformation and innovation and career planning.

He said despite some organizational differences, officers must cultivate synergy across security stakeholders in their operating environment by constantly engaging with key leaders across the divide without compromising security ethics.

He said: “Military administration today is encumbered with new sets of challenges. The impact of social media on your command is enormous and you must avoid the influence of the negative aspect of this new reality on your command.

“You must be mindful of the character of the generation coming into the Nigerian Army and be ingenious in administering the laid down administrative policies and regulations. To do this effectively, I encourage you to keep abreast of technological developments, utilize readily available resources and strengthen information and communication technology training in your units.

Read Also: Nigerian Army strengthens capacity, creates opportunities for individuals to excel – COAS

“Deliberate efforts must be made to continuously identify the tasks, threats, and standards required to operate effectively in your respective areas or responsibility in order to reach specific measurable levels of performance.

“As senior training leaders, you must be directly involved in all training activities and take a keen interest in the development of opinion leaders. Training at unit and unit levels requires thorough supervision”.

He congratulates the Chief of Training Army, GOC 6 Division, and the organizing committee for a well-organized and highly successful workshop.

He said: “I also commend resource persons and all participants for their quality incisive contributions, which have elicited far-reaching decisions during the job. I assure you that all key recommendations and ideas emanating from this workshop will be given due consideration by the Army headquarters”.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, has affirmed that the Nigerian Army will continue to enhance and sustain its capabilities, while also creating opportunities for individuals to achieve their life goals beyond combat roles.

Lagbaja conveyed this message in Sokoto through a representative and acting Commander of the 108 Division Equipment Workshop, Colonel Aliyu Musa.

This was during the opening of a public speaking engagement with students of Sani Dingyadi Unity Secondary School, organized by the NA 8 Division headquarters in Sokoto to commemorate the 2024 Nigerian Army Day celebration.

He explained that the engagement was part of the Army’s ways of creating unique opportunities for students to interact with personnel of the Nigerian Army.

However, the COAS further highlighted the various roles and services individual corps of the Nigerian Army played or provided in the cause of rendering services to the society for the nation’s stability, peace and progress.

He maintained that the engagement was also aimed at fostering positive perceptions of the Nigerian Army among the younger generations, thereby encouraging them to consider serving in the Army which he said was a noble profession.

The division’s acting deputy director of public relations, Lt. Col.  Ikechukwu Eze said in a release issued on Thursday, July 4, in Sokoto.

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He said the exercise was conducted across selected schools to create a platform for the Nigerian Army (NA) to inspire and educate students on the various opportunities in the Army, including the positive contributions made and achievements the NA has recorded while rendering its services to the nation.

The students who were overwhelmed with joy were tutored on various topics ranging from the selection and recruitment process, requirements for joining the Army, and sensitization against drug abuse. They were also enlightened on the numerous life-enhancing benefits the Nigerian Army offers its serving personnel.

Highlights of the event include the display of a 20-minute video clip showcasing the evolution, disposition, and prospects of the Nigerian Army, the donation of writing materials and souvenirs to the school and a group photograph.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.- Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, on Sunday, June 30, urged Nigerian Army personnel to keep praying for the repose of the souls of fallen heroes who made the supreme sacrifice in defending the country.

Gen. Lagbaja also urged them to always pray for the speedy physiological and psychological recovery of personnel who suffered injuries in the ongoing operations across the country.

The army chief said this at the interdenominational church service in commemoration of the Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2024, at the All Saints’ Military Church (Protestant), Army Headquarters Garrison, Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja.

He said this year’s NADCEL with the theme, “Transforming the Nigerian Army: Imperative for Combating Contemporary Security Challenges within a Joint Environment”, highlights the Nigerian Army’s responsibility to promote national unity, integration, and development.

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Gen Lagbaja said the theme underscores the army’s commitment to aligning with the overall policy dynamics underpinning contemporary security and defence management in the country and beyond.

The COAS said at present Nigeria has an Army that is “globally reckoned with, victory-focused, and understands the underlying spiritual component of fighting power.”

Gen. Lagbaja however ascribed the army’s operational successes to God, as conspicuously captured by its motto.

While commending troops for their operational doggedness and commitment, Gen. Lagbaja charged them to maintain the highest standards of service and self-discipline, as well as to do their best in making the NADCEL 2024 a worthwhile celebration.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has urged Nigerians who have taken up arms against the country to lay down their weapons, seek dialogue, and pursue peaceful means to address their grievances.

He appealed on Wednesday, June 26, in Bauchi during the commissioning of the newly constructed Nigerian Army Armoured Corps Headquarters complex, as well as the reunion and pulling out parade of retired Senior Armoured Officers.

According to Lagbaja, economic prosperity can only be achieved only in a peaceful environment.

 “My appeal to Nigerians who have taken up arms against the states is that they see the reason that it is only in an atmosphere of peace that people can experience progress and receive what they deserve from the government and the states.

 “I appeal to them to drop their arms and seek dialogue and other means through which grievances can be addressed.”

The COAS also encouraged the troops to maintain discipline, dedication, and commitment to their duties, regardless of the challenges faced across various theatres.

He assured them of his support, stressing the importance of addressing issues such as promotions, non-payment of salaries, and other concerns promptly.

Also speaking, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alh. Sa’ad Abubakar III, advised the Nigerian Army to avoid tribalism, warning that it could divide both the army and the country.

 “You are in the military now, and many things are being influenced by ethnicity and religion. Please, don’t allow these divisions to infiltrate the army, as it could lead to the division of the country,” he said.

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Earlier in his remarks, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed expressed confidence that the Nigerian Army is well-equipped and determined to defend Nigeria and its citizens against all forms of insecurity, with the modernization of its operations for excellence.

Represented by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Mohammed Auwal Jatau, Governor Bala Mohammed stated that the new complex at Obienu Barracks, with its state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure, will undoubtedly serve as a hub for the training and deployment of personnel and the coordination of the operations of the Armoured Corps.

Nation reports that in addition to the commissioning of the new headquarters, the Chief of Army Staff also commissioned the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps Fire Service Station and the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps Filling Station.