Army Chief Vows Professional Response to Security Threats

Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, The Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) has assured the general public that the Nigerian Army will continue to handle security threats, across the country, professionally.

He said this in Port Harcourt, Rivers state at the closing ceremony of the Second Commanding Officers (SCOs) Workshop, 6 Division, Nigerian Army yesterday. The Chief of Army Staff assured that the army will continue to secure the South-South and other parts of the nation, in line with the rules laid out in the constitution and for engagement on issues of national security.

Lieutenant General Lagbaja said: “ The Army will continue to respond to all national security threats in accordance with laid down constitutional provisions and the procedure in our book. The soldiers will respond in line with the rules of engagement and our code of conduct.

“And so, for all threats to security, the Army will respond appropriately for people who are carrying military weapons openly. So, the troops will respond quickly and with force to protect law-abiding citizens and to secure their own lives.”

He went on to assure those listening that the Nigerian troops will continue to operate within the southeast despite the recent killings of some soldiers, to ensure peace in that part of the country. Adding that “ it was a one-off thing”.

In his assessment of the three-day workshop for the Commanding Officers (SCOs) and the performance of troops in the Niger Delta, Lagbaja commended them for reducing security challenges to a minimum. He applauded the state governments and individuals in the region for supporting the military with credible information and logistics in curbing criminal activities.

Lagbaja continued: “Yesterday, I was in Uyo in Akwa Ibom, which is the 2 Brigade area of responsibility (AOR); and today, I am in Port Harcourt. And my experience is that the security situation in this area of responsibility is generally at a low point. All thanks to the work that our troops are doing and the support of the stakeholders, especially the government at the state level and other critical stakeholders in our society.

“So, I want to thank the stakeholders for their support through our troops, in terms of the provision of credible information and other support from the state governments, for providing the enabling environment through the provision of logistics support for our troops to function effectively.

“And I want to assure them that our troops will continue to work, to ensure that the security situation is improved till we achieve the overall objective of economic development and even pushing to other frontiers across the country.”

It remains to be seen how things progress from here.