Insecurity: COAS Launches Exercise Enduring Peace in Kogi, Vows to Smoke Out Criminals

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

The Command Army Records (CAR), Lokoja, has launched operation ‘Exercise Enduring Peace in Kogi, aimed at  smoking  out Criminals from their hideouts in the state.

In his welcome address at the official flag-off ceremony in Okene, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya, said the exercise was designed to be conducted in the last quarter of the year to checkmate all forms of criminality as the yuletide season approached.

Yahaya added that the exercise was as a result of the prevailing security challenges across the country, saying, ”Similar exercises are also ongoing in other parts of the country under different names depending on the peculiarity of each region.”

The COAS, who was represented by the Commander, CAR, Maj. Gen. Sunday Igbinomwanhia, said the exercise would hold from Oct. 18 to Dec. 22, 2022.

He explained that the exercise would involve stages of operational activities including patrols, ambushes and raids of criminal hideouts, adding that it would involved some non-kinetic activities in form of Civil Military Cooperation programme, such as free medical outreaches in some selected communities among others.

”Our choice of medical outreach in support of the exercise is deeply rooted in our belief that the support of the host communities is key to the success of the entire operations,” he said, stressing that the medical outreaches would ameliorate the existing health challenges within the targeted communities, and foster existing cordial relationship between CAR and host communities.

The COAS further disclosed that the exercise was a joint exercise involving all security agencies in Kogi as well as Vigilante Group to ensure peace across the state.