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Tag: military

  • Military officers visit Libya returnees in Edo

    Military officers visit Libya returnees in Edo

    As part of their Nigeria Study Tour, members of the Senior Course 40, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, visited Libya returnees undergoing training at the Edo Agricultural Development Programme in Benin City, on Monday.

    The Edo State Government led by Governor Godwin Obaseki has been at the forefront of efforts to receive and reintegrate Edo indigenes returning from Libya and other African countries.

    About 150 of the returnees are undergoing training in agriculture as part of the state government’s capacity building initiative to ease their integration.

    The Secretary to the Edo State Government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie Esq., who received members of the Senior Course 40, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, earlier at the Government House, Benin City, said government was pursuing reforms to stem the tide of illegal migration and open up the state for investment.

    He said that, despite economic challenges in the country in the past one year, the state has made considerable strides in improving governance through institutional reforms and enforcement of law and order in the state.

    According to Ogie, “The Governor Godwin Obaseki led-administration is committed to the improvement of governance by improving security of lives and properties and creation of enabling environment for businesses to thrive.”

    He added, “Edo state is set on the path of a market-driven change agenda, through training of her workforce, institutional reforms and infrastructural development, which are aimed at transforming the state into becoming a leading economic hub in Nigeria in no distant future.”

    The Chairman, Strategic Planning Unit, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, said the state prioritises social security because it is a building block for economic advancement, adding, “the social benefits available in a country is what makes people buy into the defence of the nation and makes them see the nation as their own.”

    According to Ihonvbere, Edo State is intensifying efforts to deliver social benefits to her people through numerous programmes to drive economic prosperity, adding that “when government denies the people social benefits, they tend to move towards ethnic and religious affinity. This becomes a threat to social security.”

    Team Coordinator, Course 40, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Colonel Babatunde Omopariola, said that the visit to Edo State is an opportunity to get first-hand knowledge of recent events and activities in Edo state.

    Read Also: 16 Libya returnees  pregnant

  • Group hails military over global ranking

    Group hails military over global ranking

    …..calls for community policing to end suicide bombing

    The current victories by the Nigerian Army over terrorism in Nigeria have continued to recieve commendations even as the Eko Civil Rights Movement this afternoon joined in the foray of those who have acknowledged the giant achievements of the military .

    In a statement signed and made available by its Executive Director, Otunba Olusayo Olatokun, during a rally to mark the 2017 Global Terrorism Index commissioned by the Institute for Economics and Peace, which held at the Freedom Park in Lagos, the group said the recent positive rating of Nigeria is an appraisal of the counter insurgency efforts that has returned a positive verdict.

    It said the institute has further restored hope in the fact that President Buhari’s counter terrorism approach has yeilded success and defeating Boko Haram and other groups is possible.

    ” the Institute for Peace has restored our hope with the release of its Global Terrorism Index 2017 which has reaffirmed our faith that terrorism can be defeated by showing that deaths from Boko Haram are on the decline.

    We see the Global Terrorism Index as a report to celebrate because it is important to fully appraise the efforts that have gone into acheiving such reduction in the casualty rate occasioned by Boko Haram activities”.

    It read in part.
    Commending further they said this international dimension has vouched for the Nigerian Military that it has made impact even when according to them the reverse seems to be the case.

    While calling on stakeholder committment, they however cautioned against relenting on the basis of the current percieved decline adding that it should rather be seen as a pointer to what has been done right and therefore can be done better.

    Meanwhile the group has also called for more intelligence involvement by the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Police Force and Community leaders in order to end recent spate of suicide missions by fleeing elements of Boko Haram.

    According to them the degree of degradation of Boko Haram calls for more of this intelligence work as opposed to the military force and strategy that the Nigerian Army has deployed to bring Boko Haram to its present level.
    ” …the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and community leaders at all levels must now face it as part of their sacred mandates that they must halt the incessant cases of suicide bombings which fleeing Boko Haram members intend to use as their last resort after their defeat by the military”. They added.
    Suggesting further, the group noted that the intelligence community would fare better if there was collaboration between them and the military, citing Lagos state as a model for all to emulate.
    ” our suggestion is for both orgainsations to work together in conjunction with the military to adopt this approach which is one of the proactive collaborations between military in terms of providing intelligence, that has kept the South West of the country free from any insurency”.

  • Reps summon Adeosun, others over military budget releases

    Reps summon Adeosun, others over military budget releases

    •As Army boss canvasses for Military Trust Fund

    The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun and her Budget and National Planning counterpart, Sen. Udo Udoma have been summoned by the House Representatives to explain budget releases to the nation’s security agencies this year.

    The  Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele was also expected to appear alongside the others before House Committee on Army next Monday on the same issue.

    Chairman of the Committee, Rimande Shawulu made the disclosure yesterday during a one-day public hearing on the need to re-energise the nation’s security agencies to meet up with their primary responsibilities.

    Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at the hearing include Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre,( CISLAC), Policy and Legal Advocacy  Centre (PLAC ) and Network on Police Reforms (NPR) among others.

    According to Shawulu, the current socio-economic and political situation of the country has made it neccesary for the military and other security agencies to be accountable.

    “Security agencies must reflect the huge funds they garner from private and public companies in their annual budgets to be said to be accountable,” he said.

    The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai said the military needed a National Defence Act to enhance its operations.

    Represented by Maj. Gen. Lamidi Adeosun of the Defence Headquarters, Buratai  also called for the establishment of a national Security Trust Fund.

    According to him, the  fund will provide a platform for the engagement of individuals and corporate entities for better funding of the security agencies.

  • U.S. air strike kills 100 militants in Somalia – Military

    U.S. air strike kills 100 militants in Somalia – Military

    The U.S. military said on Tuesday that an air strike targeting an al Shabaab camp had killed 100 militants.

    In a statement, U.S. Africa Command said the strike had been carried out 125 miles (201 km) northwest of the capital, Mogadishu and that the U.S. would continue to target militants.

    The strike was carried out in coordination with Somalia’s federal government.

    NAN reports that the Trump administration has more than doubled the number of U.S. troops in Somalia this year, putting them at the highest level since the 1993 Black Hawk Down episode that left 18 Americans dead.

    There are now more than 500 U.S. troops stationed in the east African country ravaged by civil war, Politico reported, the most since two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down and a pilot captured in Mogadishu more than two decades ago.

    It is the latest development in Trump’s strategy of expanding military commanders’ authority in the battle against jihadis in Africa.

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    The U.S. is now transporting more troops to Somalia to advise and train Somali troops in a bid to combat radical Islamists who have long operated in the failed state.

    As well as ramping up its troop presence in the country, the Pentagon has quietly increased its drone operations in Somalia.

    Since the beginning of 2017, the U.S. military has conducted 28 drone strikes against radical Islamists in Somalia.

    More than half of those—15 strikes—have been conducted since the beginning of September.

    The U.S. Africa Command conducted a total of 15 strikes in the whole of 2016.

    The strikes have predominantly targeted Al-Shabab, the group affiliated with Al-Qaeda that has been waging an insurgency against the Somali government since 2006.

    U.S. officials are also concerned about a growing presence of the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group in the country, and a potential influx of ISIS fighters into the country as the group loses territory in Iraq and Syria.

    The rival group to Al-Shabab has established a presence in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland in the north of Somalia.

    But Al-Shabab remains the most deadly jihadi force in the country, carrying out a series of large-scale bombings in Somali cities. The group carried out two major attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, in October.

    In one attack, on October 14, a huge truck bombing killed more than 350 people and injured at least 400 more. Authorities blamed Al-Shabab, although no group claimed responsibility for the attack.

    The truck stopped before its intended target and detonated while stationary, leaving open to speculation its final destination.

    Officials believe that the real target of the blast may have been a compound housing soldiers or the Somali foreign ministry.

    Read Also: Inter-Agency Rivalry Over in the Military, Says CDS

  • Inter-agency rivalry over in the military, Says CDS

    The Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS) General Abayomi Olonisakin, yesterday said inter-agency rivalry and conflicts within the armed forces and para-military institutions in the country are now a thing of the past.

    According to him, a synergy has been created with the Quarterly Route March being organized by the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) to promote interactions and understanding among military personnel and other para-military and security agencies in the country.

    Gen. Olonisakin made the remarks in Abuja yesterday at the flag off of the second edition of the Route March Exercise for Security and Response Agencies titled “Together we are”.

    The exercise which kicked off at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja, had in attendance the nation’s entire security architecture comprising of the Nigerian Army, The Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Navy, the Nigeria Police Force, The Nigerian Customs Service, the Nigerian Immigration Service, the Nigerian Prison Service and the Department of State Service (DSS).

    Others are the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigerian Fire Service, Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), the National Emergency and Management Agency,(NEMA) the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

    General Olonisakin who was represented by the Chief of Defence Training and Operations, Major General Ahmed Mohammed led the route march from the old parade ground in Area 8 Abuja, through to Area 10 and 11 and terminated the exercise where it started from.

    He expressed satisfaction with the massive turn out of all the security agencies involved in the exercise, saying a better understanding had been created on how military institutions and other security agencies in the country can work together for peace and unity of the country.

    He said: “As you have seen all of us came out with high morale, you have met with Officers and men whom you have never seen, and I have seen the interactions of all security agencies and this is how it should be.

    “We are now becoming closer, the issue of inter-service rivalry and indeed other aspect that rob us of vocation will now be henceforth dealt away with because we are now relating on personal basis. Take advantage of this gathering by taking the numbers of other participants so that if you have any issue with the soldier, road safety, immigration, customs, etc, you will know that you have somebody that you can call upon henceforth and sort things out.”

    The Director of Defence Information, Major General John Enenche in an interview with journalists said most of the conflicts within and among military and para-military personnel were as a result of lack of interactions and misunderstanding.

    He maintained that the route march was aimed at reinforcing the maxim that security agencies are working together to protect lives and properties, ensuring unity and progress, supporting democracy, defending national interest and upholding the constitution of Nigeria.

     

  • Security threats: Dogara tasks military on reliable intelligence

    Security threats: Dogara tasks military on reliable intelligence

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara on Monday challenged the military on the need to gather Security threats to tackle emerging security threats in the country.

    Dogara threw the challenge while speaking at the opening of a five-day conference organised by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) for the nation’s Defence Advisers and Attaches.

    “I believe that if we succeed in gathering reliable intelligence that can be interpreted, we will always be ahead of the terrorists, kidnappers and all those who are threatening our peaceful co-existence,’’ the Speaker said.

    He described the armed forces as the most important institution in the country presently as they were the ones always relied and called upon to address emerging internal security threats.

    “The most important thing in Nigeria right now, though we practice democracy, it is not the presidency, legislature or judiciary, but law and order and national security.

    “When there is no peace, law and order, there can’t be a nation. We must have Nigeria first before we talk about the Nigerian president, legislature and even the judiciary.

    “I know that we are in an era, the 21st century in particular, where the entire humanity is threatened by advances in science and technology and by the threat of violence.

    “Anywhere violence occurs, you will see the reversal of so many things. As a matter of fact, violence even destroys civilisation.

    The Speaker described terrorism as a global problem which no nation should be allowed to tackle alone, adding that the best way to go about it was to engage and share intelligence and experiences.

    Dogara promised that the National Assembly would always “appropriate more’’ for the military to achieve peace, noting that any nation which failed to invest in security would “diminish.’’

    “We will not fail to invest in security,’’ he added.

    The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, who was the special guest at the occasion, noted that defence diplomacy had become increasingly part of counter terrorism operations.

    Dan-Ali said that this was necessary as government seek to consolidate on its achievement and sustain the counter insurgency operations against the Boko Haram terrorists.

    He, therefore, charged the defence advisers and attaches to strengthen that effort, as well as in the area of containing subsequent levels of asymmetric warfare in the nation.

    “The importance of diplomatic relations with global players in consolidating efforts to sustain the level of achievement gained in our counter terrorism operations cannot be over emphasised.

    “Accordingly, the role of diplomacy in counter terrorism strategy cannot be underestimated.

    “It is therefore necessary to mention the propensity of using the traditional hard power measures in unconventional warfare or our fight against violent activities of non-state actors.

    Read Also: Gowon, Dogara task Northern Christians on unity, love

    “Nevertheless, bilateral or multilateral diplomacy has become the most important soft power tool in countering terrorism,’’ he said.

    Earlier, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Air Vice Marshal M.S. Usman, said that the objective of the conference was to develop the defence advisers and attaches to become “more functional in national defence.

    “From now on, our defence advisers and attaches will play more significant role in our quest to make game changing improvements to the strategic and operational tone of our counter terrorism operations.

    “Defence diplomacy is key to our appreciation of the seismic shift that are happening at a fast pace around the Lake Chad and Sahel areas, as well as across North Africa and Middle East.

    “This is because events there would determine to a large extent the operation dynamics of our own engagement,’’ Usman said.

    The opening of the conference was attended by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris among other head of security agencies.

    The theme of the conference was “Consolidating the gains of counter terrorism operations in Nigeria through Defence Diplomacy.’’

     

  • Tension in Gbaramatu as military deploy aircrafts, gunboats

    Tension in Gbaramatu as military deploy aircrafts, gunboats

    The mood was apprehensive around Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West council area of Delta state on Monday as residents and leaders sighted military aircrafts and gunboats around their communities.

    The Nation gathered that military aircrafts were seen hovering around the palace of the Gbaramatu paramount ruler in Oporoza, just as many gunboats were seen in different communities across the kingdom on Tuesday.

    Meanwhile, military sources on monday evening told The Nation that there was no cause for alarm as the hardware seen were only meant for routine patrol of the Escravos and Trans-Forcados Pipeline and not any special operation targeting specific communities.

    Speaking on the development, the spokesman of the Gbaramatu Council of Chiefs, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, expressed worry of what he described as fresh deployment of military equipment and personnel to Gbaramatu, a situation which he feared might negatively affect efforts currently being made to persuade the dreaded Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) to let down its guards.

    “Some few hours ago, military aircraft was roving round our palace and there were troops with gun boats all over Gbaramatu Kingdom.

    “While we are appealing to the Niger Delta Avengers to sheathe their sword, we don’t know the rationale behind, and why the deployment of troops and gun boats.

    “Gbaramatu people are not at war with the Nigeria government, why is it that anytime there is crisis anywhere; something happens in Bayelsa, or Rivers state,the first place of call is Gbaramatu?

    “We don’t want what happened in 2009 and 2016 to happen again. So let the military restrain itself and we are still appealing to the Avengers to sheathe their swords.

    Read Also: FG urges Niger Delta militants to remain calm

    “The Avengers that were operating in 2016 that would say something, the next day they take drastic action are same people still operating but somehow they are now listening to us including the traditional ruler that they should sheathe their sword and give government sometime.

    “And thank God nothing has happened since the renewed threat so why the deployment? Military presence in Gbaramatu and other part of Niger Delta region is capable of escalating the crisis.

    “Let the military back down. We are also appealing to agitators to sheathe their sword. While we still appealing to the agitators, the military should back down so that we can sustain the peace while the federal government embark on one or two projects in the region.

    However, explaining the development, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, said what had been misconstrued to be a military assault was a routine patrol exercise in the area, saying the hardware seen were not deployed to harass any community or any person.

    “What they are speculating as military deployment is routine patrol along Escravos and the Trans Forcados Pipeline. Once we sense any security concern on that line, our men usually move in to patrol the area. Nobody is deploying any gunboat or jets to specific communities. It is a normal patrol”, Dewu explained.

  • Saudi crown prince accuses Iran of ‘direct military aggression’

    Saudi crown prince accuses Iran of ‘direct military aggression’

    Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Salman accused Iran of carrying out “direct military aggression” against Saudi Arabia, accusing Tehran of supplying Yemen’s Houthi rebels, against whom Riyadh is fighting, with missiles.

    On Saturday, a missile was fired across the border from Yemen towards the Saudi capital Riyadh.

    “The crown prince stressed that the involvement of the Iranian regime in supplying its Houthi militias with missiles is considered a direct military aggression,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

    In remarks during a phone call with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, he said the missile attack “could amount to an act of war against the kingdom,” SPA added.

    On Sunday, the Saudi-led alliance fighting the Houthi rebels said it closed all Yemeni ports, prompting national carrier Yemen Airways to halt all flights from Aden and Seiyun airports, the only two functioning airports in the country, after failing to get permits to operate.

    Yemen has been locked in a devastating power struggle between the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-allied Houthis since the rebels took over the Yemeni capital Sana’a in late 2014.

    The conflict has intensified since March 2015, when the Houthis first advanced on Aden, prompting Saudi Arabia and its Sunni allies to start an air campaign against the Shiite group.

    Read Also: Saudi princes accused of bribery, embezzlement -official

  • Insinuations against military untrue- Commandant

    Insinuations against military untrue- Commandant

    The Commander, 16th Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General, Kelvin Aligbe, has  urged Nigerians  to see the army as its pride and to take ownership of the military institution.

    The commander spoke in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, when he led troops to undertake environmental sanitation and to donate medical materials to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) and other hospitals as part of activities for the ongoing Operation Crocodile Smile II in the Niger Delta region.

    He urged the people not to panic during the period of the military operation adding that the exercise was designed to improve the professional capabilities of soldiers.

    Aligbe said the insinuations and suspicions against the military exercise were untrue insisting there was no cause for alarm.

    “Nigerians should take ownership of the army and see the army as the pride of the nation and that’s exactly what we have come here to demonstrate within the context of operation crocodile smile II.

    “Operation Crocodile Smile II is intended to increase the rhythm of our combat operations in the creeks and land-based activities.

    ”At the end of the day, the operational skills of all those participating will be sharpened and of course, we would have gained more mileage in our operational capabilities.

    ”This, of course, you know a lot resources have been committed to the operations to boost what we are doing and so what probably we would have covered in three months will be able to cover in just one month.

    ”So, the operation is going to increase the rhythm of our operations as well as the mileage we are going to attain in terms of our operational gains.”

    Aligbe said the sanitation was one of the series of activities lined up for the operation adding that aside from the routine activities in the creeks, rivulets and all land patrols for confidence building, the military also decided to undertake some community relations activities.

    He said the donation was part of the medical outreaches of the Army within the context of its community relationship in their area of operations.

    He denounced rumour that the Army was giving vaccines and carrying out immunisation at schools.

    Aligbe said: “During our medical outreaches, we do not give vaccines, we do not do immunisation. We do basic medical checks and then offer medical materials to individuals that need them and it not by force.

    ”You will be surprised that in this time and age when you have social media that not even a shadow of the so-called people dressed in military uniform were caught on camera, especially with everybody having a cell phone that has camera in it.

    ”Not even one school, not anywhere the same message, the same rumour that was heard in other states. Unfortunately, the rumour was replicated here in Yenegoa on Friday and caused a lot of apprehension. But as leaders, we must stay on the path of truth in making sure that the services that is expected of us are delivered to the people.”

    In his remarks, the FMC Public Relations Officer, who received Aligbe and other Army officers on behalf of the hospital management, said they were highly elated to receive the medical items.

    Akpedi said: ”As a federal government facility, we are highly elated to receive the medical items.

    ”We know very well that this is the beginning of better relationship with the Nigerian Army not just for the staff of this hospital but Bayelsa State in general.”

  • Army responds to Bayelsa vaccination scare

    Army responds to Bayelsa vaccination scare

    The Spokesman of the 16th Brigade of the Nigerian Army, stationed in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Capt. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, said the military was not conducting any vaccination exercise in the state.

    Danjuma, who is the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, said the military community relations activities like medical outreaches scheduled as part of the Operation Crocodile Smile II had not started.

    ‘When the time comes, the targeted recipients will be well informed. Members of the public should always verify information before acting,” he said.