Protect Civilians, Scale up Efforts to Tackle Insecurity, Lagbaja Charges Army Field Commanders

*DHQ confirms killing of Kachalla, three other terrorist leaders

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has charged field commanders at all levels to scale up efforts in tackling insecurity and protecting civilians from unconventional threats confronting the country.

This is coming as the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday confirmed the killing of four notorious terrorist commanders – Machika, Haro, Dan Muhammadu and Ali Alhaji Alheri, popularly called Kachalla Ali Kawaje – in air strikes within the week.

Lagbaja spoke against the backdrop of the misfired drone that killed scores of civilians in Kaduna State recently and other threats confronting the citizenry.
The COAS, who gave the charge during the closing ceremony of the COAS Annual Conference 2023 at the Command Guest House, Maiduguri, Borno State, ordered an immediate shoring up of measures aimed at enhancing military operations and ensuring the safety and protection of citizens from unconventional threats.

He urged the military commanders to make good use of the outcomes of the vibrant and robust interactions during the conference to scale up efforts in tackling security challenges and improve upon the protection of Nigerians from unconventional threats confronting the nation.
A statement issued yesterday by the Nigerian Army Headquarters (AHQ) said the army chief also urged commanders to devise comprehensive plans to deal decisively with adversaries within their areas of responsibilities and exercise restraint when dealing with law-abiding citizens whom the army is constitutionally charged to protect.

Lagbaja stated that in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive, all commanders should do all within their ambit to enhance operations in a manner that justifies the resources committed to the nation’s security.
The COAS averred that the conference provided participants with veritable platforms to review the army’s past achievements and assess current challenges, and strategies for the future in the broader context of national security.

The army chief further stressed that the conference had afforded the army quality time to review its training, operations, and administrative activities that directly relate to the theme of the conference: “Personnel Motivation for Effective Operational Performance in a Joint Environment.”

He added that deliberations at the conference had addressed various issues relating to troops’ morale, and physical and conceptual components of the army’s fighting power, adding also that the lecture during the conference had further re-enforced the importance of a whole-of-society approach in the successful conduct of operations to mitigate security challenges.

Lagbaja noted that the task ahead of the military was enormous, stressing that efforts must be made to improve communication channels with other security agencies to create a secure environment for good governance and economic prosperity for Nigerians.
The statement further stated that in conformity with one of the cardinal pillars of the COAS command philosophy, which is “sound administration,” Lagbaja presented cheques to officers and soldiers wounded in combat through the Group Personnel Accident Insurance Scheme.
The scheme caters for the medical bills of personnel wounded in combat.
The COAS, on behalf of officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, also expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for his staunch support and assured of the unflinching loyalty and commitment of the army to the defence of democracy and upholding the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

DHQ Confirms Killing of Kachalla, Three Other Terrorist Commanders
Meanwhile, the DHQ confirmed the killing of four notorious terrorist commanders in air strikes within the week.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja.
Buba said that Machika was a top terrorist bomb expert and younger brother of a notorious terrorist, Dogo Gide, while Haro and Dan Muhammadu were specialists in kidnapping and assault operations, respectively.

He said a synchronised strike between air and ground forces aimed at the same target on December 11 and killed Kachalla Kawaje, who was a renowned terrorist leader responsible for the abduction of the students of Federal University, Gusau in Zamfara State.
He added that Kachalla was neutralised in Munya Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State, along with many of his foot soldiers.
According to him, the military is fast closing in on others and gives the assurance that they will equally suffer the same fate.

Buba said air assets conducted aggressive air flights on confirmed locations active with the movement of terrorist commanders and their foot soldiers.
He added that the strikes carried out resulted in the killing of over 38 terrorist commanders and their foot soldiers, while 159 others were arrested.
“The armed forces are hunting down prominent terrorist leaders and engaging them wherever they are hiding.

“The military will continue to take the fight to the terrorists and their cohorts until they are destroyed or surrendered.
In the South-east, Buba said the troops, in conjunction with other security agencies, on Wednesday apprehended a prominent commander of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
He said the commander, one Uchechukwu Akpa, was arrested together with three other sub-commanders, namely Udoka Anthony Ude, Ikechukwu Ulanta, and Ezennaya Udeigewere.

According to him, the trio were arrested after a raid on their hideout at Christ the King Catholic Church, Ameta Mgbowo, in Awgu LGA of Enugu State.
“They gathered to plot to take over the leadership of IPOB/ESN Auto Pilot Command, Enugu State Chapter, from the apprehended former Commander, known as”Chocho “. They also planned to attack troop locations.

“During the raid, Akpa sustained a gunshot wound while trying to escape,” the statement added.
He was the second-in command to Chocho, a notorious IPOB/ESN leader currently in custody.
“Subsequently, another raid connected with the arrest was conducted on Dec. 14 where troops recovered one AK 47 rifle, two AK 47 magazines, 25 rounds of 7.62mm NATO special ammunition and one pump action rifle.

“The operations of the week in focus equally resulted in the arrest of 66 perpetrators of oil theft and the rescue of 89 kidnapped hostages,” Buba said.
Buba said the troops in the Niger Delta area destroyed 15 dugout pits, 25 boats, 74 storage tanks, 14 vehicles, 115 cooking ovens, 13 reservoirs, 10 cooling systems, 10 receivers, three pumping machines and 64 illegal refining sites during the week.
He added that troops recovered 357,350 litres of stolen crude oil, 185,300 litres of illegally refined AGO and 20,600 litres of petrol.