Army to Deal Ruthlessly with People Threatening Peace in the S’East, Niger Delta 

Amby Uneze in Owerri

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Conference ended yesterday in Owerri, the Imo State capital with a vow to deal ruthlessly on those threatening peace and Nigeria’s ‘territorial integrity’ especially militants working to engage in security threats in the South-east, South-South and the North-east.

 The Army in a communiqué issued at the end of the Conference and signed by Major General LKJ Ogunewe, reiterated its readiness to defend Nigeria against “both internal and external aggression as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The Communiqué also noted that the strategies and measures adopted by the Nigerian Army in the discharge of its mandate were successful and in line with respect for human rights.

“The conference re-emphasised the imperative for effective training, adaptive leadership, discipline, as well as operational responsiveness backed with functional logistics for sustaining the enormous gains recorded by the Nigerian Army across the entire spectrum of its operations.

“The conference also commended the efforts of various states and local governments in facilitating peace initiatives like resolution of herdsmen/farmers conflict. It noted with commendation the effort of the Nigerian Army at building confidence among the parties in dispute. The importance of intelligence sharing among security agencies was also highlighted.

“The Conference noted the innovative efforts of the Nigerian Army to locally modify and re-fit some of its platforms which has aided ongoing operations. This innovation saved the country enormous foreign exchange as well as enhanced combat efficiency,” communique noted.