By Olayemi Esan
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor has said that the Armed Forces would provide urgent security interventions in the North Central and the entire nation.
Director Defence Information Maj.-Gen. Benjamin Sawyerr in a statement signed on Wednesday, quoted the CDS saying military remains at the forefront in tackling the myriad of security threats confronting the nation.
Gen. Irabor stated this at an interactive session between him and retired senior military officers in the North Central Geopolitical zone on Wednesday at the Headquarters, Tactical Air Command, Nigerian Air Force, Makurdi, Benue State.
According to the CDS, “the military as an institution remains at the forefront of leading the war against every form of criminalities as the Constitution avails the AFN the mandate of supporting civil authorities which in this case, is championed by the Nigeria Police.”
Gen Irabor noted that the one-day security parley is in continuation of the nationwide consultation with military veterans towards proffering lasting solution to the security challenges confronting the country.
The CDS while admitting the wave of insecurity in the geopolitical zone at the instance of farmer/herder and communal clashes, said the ongoing military engagement is crucial and it requires the inputs of its veterans towards sustainable peace and progress.
He urged the senior citizens whom he described as military officers even in retirement to be open minded in offering suggestions to the security threats, promising that there would be interventions in the security dispositions in the North Central and the entire nation.
In his remarks, the Chief of Defence Civil Military Cooperation, Rear Admiral Fredrick Ogu said the parley with retired senior military across the six geopolitical zones is aimed at identifying the threats in terms of its intensity and peculiarities with a view to addressing the them.
Ogu recalled that the maiden edition of the parley held in the South West zone, while the second and third editions took place in the North West and South East geopolitical zones.
The Air Officer Commanding, Tactical Air Command, AVM Idi Lubo who acknowledged the critical roles being played by military veterans in the defence and security sectors, expressed optimism that issues on intelligence gathering, information sharing and security management would dominate discussion during the close door session.
AVM Lubo expressed the commitment of the Command in sustaining the ongoing synergy with sister Services and other security agencies towards ensuring peace and stability in the region.
He noted that the armed forces is leveraging on the support and goodwill of the people in tackling security challenges in the region.
Lubo enumerated the air operations which the Command is actively participating in the various theatres, including Operation Hadin Kai in the North East, Operation Delta Safe in the South South, Operation Hadarin Daji in the North West, as well as Operation Whirl Stroke and Safe Haven in the North Central.
He further attributed the recent successes being achieved in the theatres to the collaboration among various security outfits in line with the CDS leadership direction for the armed forces.
