Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Theophilius Yakubu Danjuma, has challenged the service chiefs to put an end to the reign of terror and all shades of security challenges threatening the country’s corporate existence.
General Danjuma gave the charge at the presentation of ‘Big Boots: Lessons from My Military Service’, a book authored by Major-General Solomon Udounwa (rtd), at the Armed Forces Officers’ Mess in Abuja.
The former military chief, who chaired the book launch, said there must be no room for excuses in the efforts to end the lingering insecurity ravaging the country.
The elder statesman extolled the virtues of the author and his commitment to excellence during his military career.
“Our number one problem today is security. We must end banditry; the killings that are going on now as soon as possible. The responsibility is on your shoulders, those of you that are still serving. No excuses. Absolutely no excuses,” the News of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the erstwhile army chief as saying.
Danjuma, who was also at a time the defence minister, lauded efforts of the military at maintaining national unity and addressing various security threats.
He, however, said more still needed to be done to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property.
The elder statesman thanked the leadership of the military for upholding the welfare of its officers and soldiers, especially after retirement.
Speaking at the event, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Christopher Musa said the Nigerian armed forces would continue to uphold the values of service, integrity, and honour in line with the best global military tradition.
“Let me at least also mention to our distinguished chairman that the armed forces of Nigeria are positioned, willing, dedicated, and committed to ensuring that we restore peace and security in our own dear country. We shall not be deterred. There are going to be challenges, yes, but that’s why we’re here.
“I want to assure you that we have learned a lot from your record, very, very distinguished senior officers that have modelled us all through the years. We cannot afford to fail and we will not fail,” Musa said.
CDS Musa also commended the author for putting the book together, his exemplary service to the army and the nation in general.
…Author’s desire
On what motivated the publication, author of the book, Major-General Udounwa, said the work was a documentation of his different experiences so the younger generations could benefit.
Udounwa recalled: “Well, I was motivated by a lot of factors. The first one is that the military profession thrives on experiential learning. That is to say, younger generations of military officers and soldiers require, you know, the experiences of those who served before them to learn whether it’s issues of strategy, administration, operational management, and the rest.
“You know, so if you don’t document your experiences, that could be lost and then those coming behind you might not be able to learn from all the exposure and all the training that you had while in service. So, my book is going to be of interest to serving personnel, to military historians, to the, you know, to the academia, you know, for people who are interested in national and international security affairs, and for the general public. So, that was the motivation.
“I hope the younger generation of officers who are still serving will learn from some of the challenges I faced and how I was able to navigate through them. You know, I hope they will learn that to serve in the military requires discipline, professionalism, integrity, character, courage, and so many other virtues that an officer must display while undertaking his duties.”
He also told the gathering that the size of his feet and boots in the military were reasons for the title of the book.
Recalling his primary school days to the admiration of the guests present, the army general said: “I faced bullies in primary school, but the day I decided to unleash my big feet on one of the bullies it ended. You know, that reign of terror. And then when I joined the military because my feet are very big, I was also given big boots, which went with me everywhere I served, and which I used in trampling on terrorists and every other threat to our national security.”
At the event were former service chiefs like Lt.-General Tukur Buratai, General Lucky Irabor, Lt.-General Faruk Yahaya and other serving and retired top military officers.
…Four terrorists killed, 20 captives rescued
Meanwhile, troops of the Nigerian Army have neutralised four bandits and rescued 20 kidnapped victims in separate operations across Birnin Gwari and Giwa local government areas of Kaduna state.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Overseeing Commissioner for the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan.
The statement said troops of Operation Forest Sanity conducted clearance operations in the Alawa area of Birnin Gwari LGA, where they encountered and neutralized two bandits near Kwaga village after a brief pursuit.
“Two AK-47 rifles, three magazines, three motorcycles, and a Baofeng radio were recovered,” he added.
In another operation, Aruwan said, “the troops of Sector 6, Operation Whirl Punch, carrying out fighting patrols around Nakwakina village in Giwa LGA acted on credible intelligence, and laid an ambush and neutralized two bandits, while others fled with gunshot wounds.”
Aruwan noted that two motorcycles, a cutlass, and a mobile phone were recovered during the operation.
Similarly, the overseeing commissioner said troops of Sector 3, Operation Whirl Punch, responded to a distress call from Kwaga-Polewire Road, Birnin Gwari LGA and the bandits fled upon sighting the troops, leaving behind 20 kidnapped victims, who were immediately rescued and reunited with their families.
He, however, appealed to residents of the state to report any suspicious persons, particularly those seeking medical attention for gunshot wounds, to the 1 Division/Operation Whirl Punch toll-free lines: 08000020204, or the Kaduna State Security Operations Room via 09034000060 and 08170189999.
…Centre to destroy over 30,000 arms, ammunition
In a related development, the National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) Tuesday said it would destroy 30,132 recovered decommissioned, unserviceable, and illicit arms and ammunition.
Of this figure, it said, there are 3,383 arms, while 26,749 are various calibers of ammunition, including those from arms-bearing government agencies.
Speaking at a workshop on gender mainstreaming in preventing the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria and West Africa, NCCSALW National Coordinator DIG Johnson Kokumo (retd.) said the exercise would take place by September ending.
“In addition to the above, the National Centre has retrieved a total of 3,383 decommissioned, unserviceable, obsolete and illicit small arms and light weapons and 26,749 various calibers of ammunition from the following arms bearing agencies of government; the Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force and the Nigeria Police Force.
“Others include the Defence Intelligence Agency, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Nigerian Security & Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Customs Service, amongst others. Later in this quarter, NCCSALW would be conducting an Arms Destruction Exercise which is a critical step in ensuring that recovered arms are permanently removed from circulation,” Kokumo said.
Kokumo said the control of small arms and light weapons proliferation was not only a national concern but also a matter of international importance.
He added that the illegal flow of small arms and light weapons had devastating consequences.
Kokumo said, “The control of small arms and light weapons proliferation is not only a national concern but also a matter of international importance.
“The illegal flow of small arms and light weapons has devastating consequences, fuelling violence, instability and insecurity in various parts of the world. As we all know, the most traumatic effects of these crises usually befall women and children.”
On the need to get women involved in the in disarmament and security policies, he said: “Gender mainstreaming in Small Arms and Light Weapons control is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic move, as the grave impact of armed conflict on women and children highlights the need for a gender-sensitive approach to disarmament and security policies.”
In a message to the workshop, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu described the president’s assent to the bill establishing the NCCSALW as a major milestone in the government’s commitment to curbing the proliferation of illegal arms.
Represented by ONSA Director of External Affairs Ibrahim Babani, Ribadu said, “the legislative backing strengthens the centre’s mandate and paves the way for more coordinated and decisive action.”