President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday hailed the transformation in the Nigerian Armed Forces, describing it as unprecedented within a short period.
Buhari said this while addressing troops during a field training exercise organised to the mark the 2016 Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) in Dansadau, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara.
He said that the recent conduct of troops, their commanders and the Army’s leadership was impressive, noting that it was in tandem with the goal of his administration.
He reminded the troops of his administration’s commitment to protect the lives of citizens, grow the economy and fight corruption, noting that “it
has been a long time that I have seen a field exercise organised like this; I am very impressed with what I am seeing.
“I urge you to keep it up and sustain the tempo as you carry on with the efforts to rid our country of criminal elements.
“I must also commend your efforts in fulfilling this administration’s promises to secure lives and property, by your contributions, the situation
has greatly improved.”
The President was also conducted round the troops units and posts at the exercise area near the Dansadau forest.
Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State expressed confidence that the efforts of the Army would rid the state of criminals.
He commended the efforts of the Armed Forces in addressing the different security challenges plaguing the nation.
He appreciated President Buhari’s support for the Armed Forces in discharging their duties.
On his part, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, thanked Buhari for his support to the Army.
He attributed the positive changes witnessed in the Army to the support and leadership of the President, especially in the programmes of the Army.
Buratai said that the Army would sustain ongoing efforts to transform all facets of the Army’s operations.
He added that the training exercise introduced by the present Army leadership would be sustained with the next exercise scheduled to hold in the southern part of the country.
The President was accompanied by Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, and service chiefs.
Meanwhile, Buratai said that intelligence reports indicated that many cattle rustlers and bandits were already fleeing the forest in Gusau, Zamfara State.
Buratai made the disclosure during activities to mark the Army Day celebration in Gusau.
“We have also got the report that many of the criminals are already on the run in the forest.
“We understand that they are trying to escape from the ongoing operation but this will not deter us from going on with the operations,”he said.
He noted that the Army would sustain the offensive against the criminals until all known enclaves in the forest were cleared.
The Army chief assured the people of the state and residents of the entire North-West that the present efforts would address the security challenge in the region.
On his part, Yari said local vigilantes and members of some border communities in the state had reported seeing some of the criminals escaping from the Dansadau forest.
He said some of the bandits had informed the communities that they were fleeing their enclaves in the forest with plans to return in the future.
Yari said there was need for the military to establish a unit near the troubled communities to forestall a re-occurrence of the attacks on communities by the criminals.
“We have received reports from our people in the border towns and villages about the mass movement of the criminals.
” Many of them are reported to have escaped to villages across the border outside Nigeria for fear of the Army.
“Our worry is that they may return after the soldiers leave, they indeed wrote to the communities that they were leaving to return after the military operation.
“The solution, therefore, is for the Federal Government to establish an Army unit in the state to deter these criminals from returning,” he said.
He commended the efforts put on ground so far to address the menace of cattle rustling and armed banditry.
Yari said the state had lost so much to the activities of both rustlers and armed bandits in the state.
Scores of bandits and cattle rustlers have been arrested by the Army in recent operations in the North-West.
Thousands of cattle have also been recovered in different operations by security agencies in the region.
