By Jude Opara and Gom Mirian, Abuja

The Newly appointed Service Chiefs have rolled out new strategies to combat insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality in the country to commensurate with the task of keeping Nigeria safe from internal and external aggression.

For the new strategies to work, however, the military said there was the need for maximum support of the populace in boosting the morale of the Armed Forces to tackles the various security challenges confronting the country.

“In line with the reorganisation of the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the appointment of new service chiefs, the operations of the Armed Forces are equally being reorganized to tackle the security challenges in the country effectively.

“In this regard, the service chiefs led by the Chief of Defence Staff Major General LEO Irabor (GSS) commenced action at all levels.

“These include carrying out strategic, administrative, operational and logistics adjustments, changes and reviews, to improve the security situation in the Country.

“As such, all stakeholders are requested to give maximum support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff,” he explained

Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, made the appeal yesterday while updating newsmen on new development in its operational strategies and the achievements recorded by the military in the various operations conducted across the county from January 21 to February 11.

Enenche said the recent shake-up in the leadership of the Armed Forces of Nigeria would, no doubt, ushered in new mode of operations for tackling the security challenges facing the country

He said this is explained by the swift visit made by the newly appointed service chiefs to some operational areas aimed at ensuring the command comes up with new ways and means of tackling the security challenges.

Speaking further on the operations conducted by the military in conjunction with other security agencies in the last 22 days, Enenche said troops of Operations HADARIN DAJI have continued to sustain their efforts in the North-West Zone of the Country progressively.

He said the gallant troops within the period in focus carried out several land and air operations in the Zone which include clearance and ambush operations as well as aggressive ground and aerial patrols in order to ensure security of lives and property within the Zone.

While in the North – East Zone, the Armed Forces of Nigeria working together with other security agencies have continued to sustain the onslaught against the insurgents.

Within the period under review, troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, on various occasions made contact and engaged some Boko Haram terrorists and those of the Islamic State West Africa Province criminal elements

In the North Central, troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies operating in the North Central Zone of the Country have continued to sustain the fight against armed banditry and other criminal vices in the Zone with remarkable results.

“Additionally, troops conducted anti-crude oil theft and anti-illegal bunkering operations as well as other anti-illegal maritime activities, and in the process, deactivated several illegal refining sites within the period in focus.

“In the course of the operations, large quantities of stolen crude oil and illegally refined AGO as well as some equipment were recovered,”  Enenche said.

 COAS Restates Commitment to Peace Keeping, Internal Security

Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Ibrahim Attahiru , has reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian Army to peace keeping operations as well as to enhance internal security across the country.

Attahiru gave the assurance while signing the Memorandum of Understanding between the Centre for Peace and strategic studies, University of Ilorin and Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peace Keeping Center (MLAILPKC) at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.

Represented by the Deputy Chief of Policy and Plan, Major General T.A Gagariga, the COAS said the collaboration between the two institutions would enhance human capacity building as well as development of curriculum on executive courses in peacekeeping.

The Army boss, who expressed optimism that the partnership would be an additional value to the existing knowledge, said it would further lead to the issuance of certificate in Masters in Peace and Security Studies or Masters in Peace and Strategic Studies amongst others.

“The importance of this partnership cannot be down-played as the parties have mutually agreed to facilitate and coordinate research projects

“This partnership is similar to the academic partnership that exists between ABU Zaria and Nigerian Army School of Military Police and Nigerian Army School of Legal Service.

“It would thus boost curriculum and reputation of MLAILPKC on aspects of leadership training, peace and security development as well as conflict resolution and mediation.

“I must state that the implementation of the MoU would involve exchange of staff and students of both institutions.

“This would strengthen interface in existing theoretical and practical knowledge. On the whole, the MoU would promote cordial relationships thus influencing NA CIMIC activities, as well as NA relationship with University of Ilorin in academic matters, researches and other areas of mutual benefits.

“It is envisaged that the MLAILPKC would continue its collaboration with national and international institutions,” he added.

In another development, the newly appointed army spokesman, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima assured Defence Correspondents of prompt response to security enquires

Brig. Gen. Yerima, who gave the assurance after he officially took over from his predecessor, Brigadier General Sagir Musa, said nothing boosts the moral of the frontline troops more than the solidarity of all Nigerians, especially reports that ginger their zeal and fighting spirit and sacrifice to the nation.

 We’ve Failed in our Obligations -Speaker

In a related development, the House of Representatives opened plenary with a forceful address by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, which centred on insecurity.

Gbajabiamila lamented that political office holders’ failure to secure lives and properties was underscored each time a person was abducted or killed.

 “Every time a citizen going about their business is killed or kidnapped, loses their property or livelihood, we have failed in our obligation. From the abundance of these failures has emerged a culture of self-help in matters of internal security that portends grave danger for our nation’s continued existence.

 “If ever there was a time for us to put aside all other considerations, especially the petty concerns of partisanship and politics, it is now. If ever there was a time to set aside our differences of tribe and religion to focus on a concerted effort to defeat the challenges of insurgency and banditry, communal violence, and the violent struggle over land; that time is now”.

Yesterday, gunmen killed three persons in Anambra state. The assailants gained access to the hall where a meeting was taking place in Nkpor, Idemili Local Government and shut them dead.

On a Delta State highway, seven travellers in a Warri-bound vehicle were abducted by gunmen.

In Bayelsa State, armed-to-the-teeth pirates kidnapped six people after attacking a speedboat.

In Yobe State, Boko Haram captured three Customs men while in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, a reporter with Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) was abducted on the highway.

Gbajabiamila added that “the forces that threaten our lives and property, our sovereignty and nationhood, do not make any exceptions based on the God we pray to or the language of our native tongue. From every region and state, citizens of every tribe and religion have suffered and will continue to suffer the pain of death and the grief of loss until we put an end once and for all to the terrors of banditry, insurgency and malignant crime in all forms.

“We have to reconcile the obligations we owe to our people with the constitutional limitations under which we operate. But we will not shrink from our role as advocates for the forgotten voices, and we will continue to exercise the appropriation and oversight authority vested in us to hold to account those who bear direct responsibility for the protection of all nation’s people.”

On it part, the Senates called on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the National Security Adviser, the newly nominated Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police to rejig the nation’s security architecture.

This is part of their resolution after the debate on a motion titled: “General Insecurity in Nigeria”, sponsored by Senator Ajayi Boroffice.

The Senate urged governors to re-invigorate rural governance and convene state-wide inter-communal conclaves and dialogues to promote local conflict resolution and inter-ethnic harmony.

The Senate urged governors to implement the National Livestock Transformation Plan “which is a modern scheme designed to eliminate transhumance in order to prevent farmer-herder conflicts and activate highly productive livestock sector in Nigeria.”

Other resolutions adopted by the Senate include: “Security agencies to actively deploy drones and helicopters to monitor forests and ungoverned areas to identify illegal camps of armed bandits.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan said: “There’s no better investment today in Nigerian by government, than making more resources available to our security agencies because security is the major thing that government can do to change the lives of the people for the better.

“So, we will continue to discuss an debate it here. This will not be the last, but the tone, the issue, the main theme should change.

“That maybe by the time we discuss this kind of thing here again, it should be that we have made a shift; that we have moved positively, that we are trying to only make it better.

“We should not be frustrated, we should not be discouraged. What we are talking here is being listened to, even when it appears to us that there’s no sufficient implementation of what we are doing”, he added.