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DEFENCE

Army Fetes 62 Retired Generals

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The Nigerian Army on Saturday, treated 62 retired and retiring generals to a regimental dinner and awards to honour them for their 35 years of meritorious service to the nation.

The senior officers comprising 24 major generals and 38 brigadier generals are those who retired or due for retirement within 2022.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen.

lucky Irabor, said the event signified the beginning of a process for the retired and retiring senior officers who would transit into another phase of life that would be slightly differently from what they were used to.

Irabor said the officers deserved to be appreciated and honoured by the nation, adding that event was a representation of national honors to them.

He said that a lot of changes had occurred in the context of welfare and administration in the armed forces, urging them to ensure that they make themselves happy in retirement

“So let me on that note, wish everyone of you the very best in retirement.

“We want to hear good testimonies about you and we will also appreciate that you do not forget the constituency that made you this past three and half decades.

“Like I said to you guys there is no engagement that would take your time and energy for as long as you live that will be demanding of you the way the armed forces have demanded of you, and of course the army in particular.

“And so it behooves on you to be the ambassadors of the armed forces, to change the orientation of many who do not know us.

“Remain our testifiers as to the uniqueness of the value that we bring to bear within the defence and security architecture of this nation.

“I would like to urge you to please keep up that spirit so that together we will continue to add value to our work,” he said.

Irabor commended the Army Headquarters for honouring its retired personnel for their services to the nation and the armed forces in particular.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, said the regimental dinner was organised to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions and sacrifices of the senior officers to their fatherland in the past 35 years.

Yahaya said the officers had operated and traversed the gamut of the country and theatres of operations, as well as other countries where they had contributed to peace and security.

According to him, this is a celebration of life to appreciate and thank them, having served the noble profession of the arms and retiring in one piece after 35 years.

He urged them to be good ambassadors of the army and be ready to continue to be useful to the nation, adding that they were better positioned to help propagate and sell the army in good light.

He urged them to continue to deploy their expertise and competences in support of the service, adding that the army had opened avenues to engage retired officers willing to deliver their skills and competencies.

“As we speak, we have some of the retired officers at Army Resource Center, Nigerian Defence Academy, Nigerian Army School of Artillery, School of Infantry and across board.

“We are willing and ready to engage you because we know the quality of what was invested in you and what you can deliver and what you have delivered when you were serving,” he said.

Yahaya also appreciated the spouses of the retired officers for the support and sacrifices they made while their husbands were busy serving the nation.

He also advised them to continue make themselves useful by getting themselves engaged in profitable ventures in retirement.

The Chief of Administration (Army) Maj.-Gen. Ogbe Ali, said the event was first held in 2021 to appreciate retired and retiring generals, adding that similar events were  being organised at formations level for colonels and below, as well as soldiers.

Ali said the 2022 ooccasion was a continuation of that innovation and the 2nd in the series to celebrate 62 generals of the Nigerian army that retired during the year.

According to him, the ceremony is equally unique as it ushers them into the end of the year and the Christmas season. (NAN)

DEFENCE

Terrorism: ECOWAS to Raise $2.4bn to Fund Counter-terrorism Standby Force

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it is working to set up a counter terrorism force to tackle security threats within the sub-region.

The Commissioner Political Affairs, Peace and Security of ECOWAS, Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, stated this at the opening of a three-day consultative meeting of Commandants of the three designated ECOWAS Training Centres of Excellence.

The three centres of excellence are the National Defence College, Nigeria, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Ghana, and Ecole de Maintien de la Paix Alioune Blondin Beye, Mali.

The consultative engagement is a bi-annual event coordinated by the Directorate of Peacekeeping and Regional Security of ECOWAS.

It is to support training, capacity building, research and development of the ECOWAS Standby Force, and the general peace and security within the sub-region.

Reports says that Mali which is housing one of the training centres of excellence was absent at the meeting.

This may not be unconnected with the recent move by the country alongside Niger and Burkina Faso to exit the ECOWAS community.

Musah said that terrorism was cascading across the region and there was need to have counter terrorism forces to contain its spread.

“This is the decision, and in the coming weeks,  ECOWAS has already with the Chief of Defence Staffs, developed operational modalities, the concept of operations and everything for us to aggregate.

“It will be something like an advance rapid reaction force of a battalion that will be able to confront terrorists’ bases.”

He explained that as part of the resolution of the authority of Heads of States, 2.4 billion dollars would be raised to fund the ECOWAS standby force to tackle the security challenges headlong.

“The Heads of States have decided that on the first year, we must raise about 2.4 billion dollars to support the operation of this force in order to face the terrorist.”

Musah said out of the amount, the Heads of States have directed member states contribute one billion dollars to commence the operation of the stand-by force.

He also explained that Ministers of Defence and Finance from the sub-region would be meeting to fashion out funding modalities for the force.

“This brings me to why this exercise is so critical today.

“If you look at our region, it is being ravage by terrorists. Today Burkina faso has overtaken Afghanistan as the most terrorised state on earth, and Africa has become home to terrorists organisations.

“Elsewhere in the world there are opportunistic terrorists attacks like we saw in some countries not too long ago.

“We are faced with the nightmare of having one of our member states being completely occupied by terrorist groups.

“If they set up a front base in one country then no country is safe, and we have already seen the impact of that on some of the coastal countries –  Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cote d’voir – over the past few years.”

The ECOWAS commissioner, however, said Nigeria has been able to degrade the Boko Haram terrorists.

“In Nigeria, thanks to the efforts of the Nigerian Government, Boko haram have been degraded to the extent that they do not post a sustainable threat to the peace and security of Nigeria.”

Earlier, the Commandant National Defence College, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu while welcoming participants to the meeting, said West Africa was the only region that assigned training centres with special mandate.

He, therefore, urged the participants to take advantage of the opportunity to exchange useful ideas to enhance operations against terrorist groups in the region. (NAN)

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DEFENCE

Police Arrest 22 Suspected Armed Robbers, 36 Rapists in Katsina

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The Police Command in Katsina State, says within the month of April, it arrested about 22 suspected armed robbers, and 36 persons in connection to rape and sodomy cases in the state.

The Command’s spokesman, ASP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, confirmed this while briefing newsmen on the command’s achievements within the month under review.

Sadiq-Aliyu said that 10 murder suspects were also arrested during the period.

He disclosed that 81 cases of major crimes, such as armed robbery, kidnapping, culpable homicides, cattle rustling among others were reported.

“Within the period, 69 cases were charged to court, as a total number of 145 suspects were arrested in connection with these suspected cases.

“A total number of 58 suspects were arrested for various offences such as criminal force, intimidation, inciting disturbance, theft, and belonging to gang of brigands, among others.

“Also, the command has succeeded in neutralising 12 suspected bandits, rescued over 30 kidnapped victims, and recovered 492 rustled animals,” Sadiq-Aliyu said.

He further revealed that on May 5, the command successfully foiled a bandit attack on two commercial motor-vehicles at Unguwar Boka village, along Funtua-Gusau road, and rescued 52 passengers.

According to him, a luxurious bus conveying passengers from Onitsha en route Gusau, Zamfara State, and a Volkswagen Golf-3 en route Zaria from Gusau, were attacked by suspected bandits, forcing the driver to veer off the road into the nearby bushes.

“Upon receipt of the report, promptly, the DPO mobilised operatives and responded to the scene, where they engaged the assailants in a fierce gun duel, successfully thwarted the kidnapping attempt, and rescued all the passengers unhurt. 

“Efforts have been intensified to ensure the arrest of the fleeing suspects. The investigation is still ongoing,” the police spokesman said. (NAN)

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DEFENCE

NDA Conducts Range Classification, Urges Residents to Stay Away

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The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), says it will  conduct Range Classification Exercise for Cadets of 72  Regular Course , advising residents to avoid trespassing.

The academy’s Public Relations Officer, Maj. Mohammed Maidawa, made the announcement in a statement in Kaduna on Tuesday.

Maidawa said:  “NDA wishes to inform the general public, especially inhabitants of Mando,Tsamiya, Kauya and Afaka general area that it will be conducting a Range Classification Exercise for cadets of 72 Regular Course .

He said the exercise has been scheduled to be held from Wednesday  to Thursday at NDA Open Range Afaka.

He said, “The NDA assures the general public that all necessary safety measures have been put in place for successful conduct of the exercise.

“However, the general public is advised to avoid trespassing in the general area throughout the period of the exercise.”(NAN)

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