Army Boss To Flag-off Anti-crime Military Exercise Ahead Of Yuletide

CHIEF of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya will on Monday October 4, flag-off nationwide military exercises tagged “Golden Dawn, Enduring Peace and Still Water.”

The COAS will symbolically do the flag-off for all Exercises across the country at a venue for the Exercise GOLDEN DAWN scheduled to take place at Orie-Emene in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.

A statement issued by Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu explained that it is a Field Training Exercise (FTE) which is a routine activity of the Nigerian Army conducted yearly to Sharpen skills of troops and check criminalities to ensure safety of people during the Yultide season.

Nwachukwu said the exercise would run concurrently in South West, South South, South East, and North Central States of Kogi, Benue and Federal Capital Territory.

The statement reads, “For all intents and purposes, it should be noted that these Field Training Exercises (FTEs) are routines conducted yearly by the Nigerian Army (NA), designed to effectively check all forms of criminalitues and allow for free movement of persons during the Yuletide. Additionally, the FTEs will equally provide a platform to sharpen the skills of participating troops on the conduct of Internal Security Operations.

“The exercises will run concurrently in 2, 6, 81 and 82 Divisions Areas of Responsibilities (AOR) in the South West, South South and South East regions respectively. It will also be conducted in Headquarters Command Army Records, 401 Special Forces Brigade and Guards Brigade Areas of Responsibilities (AOR) in the North Central States of Kogi, Benue and the Federal Capital territory respectively.

“Expectedly, troops will be taken through operational rigors to effectively respond to security challenges, ranging from kidnapping, banditry, thuggery, brigandage, armed robbery, cultism, communal crisis, violent secessionist agitations, farmers-herders clashes and insurgency, amongst other sundry crimes.

“This will be complimented by robust Civil-Military relations activities in identified communities in the envisaged AORs. This intervention calls for critical stakeholders to support the NA and other security agencies to stem the tide of crimes and criminality across the areas, particularly as the Yuletide approaches,” Nwachukwu stated.

The Army Spokesman enjoined members of the public especially in the concerned areas not to panic at the sight of troops moving around with military equipment.

He urged the public to continue supporting the Army and other security agencies in providing credible information about criminal activities in their neighbourhood for effective security especially during the Yuletide celebration.