The Chief of Army Staff (COAS ), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has reiterated that the troops would not be deterred by the use of Improvised Explosive Devices IED by terrorists in the Shiroro local government area of Niger State.
This has confirmed the LEADERSHIP report that the terrorist groups operating in the Shiroro area have resorted to the use of IEDs to scare farmers away from harvesting their crops.
The Chief of Army Staff stated this while addressing officers and men of the Nigerian Army after he declared open, the 2025 Doctrine and Training Conference with the theme “Understanding Nigerian Army Doctrine for effective training within a joint environment” organised by the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Headquarters, Minna.
He said that the use of IEDs is part of the techniques to delay the movement of troops from advancing to launch attacks.
General Oluyede, however, revealed that the Nigerian Army would soon unveil improved welfare packages and allowances for Frontline Troops fighting insurgency, banditry, and other security challenges across the country to motivate them and stem all security challenges confronting the country.
The Army chief said some of the packages included construction of houses and other benefits that would encourage the troops.
He, however, warned against any form of indiscipline and disregard for orders in the ongoing fight against insurgency and banditry, disclosing that more troops were being mobilised to ensure that the Lakurawa and other terrorist groups were completely crushed.
He said even though the terrorists are taking advantage of the vast forests to hide, the military has intensified onslaught to ensure that the affected communities are secured.
On the conference, the Chief of Army Staff said the 2025 Conference was to consolidate the transformation of the Nigerian Army towards bequeathing a well-motivated and combat-ready force that could effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities in a joint and multi-agency environment.
“It is no news that Nigeria’s current security and defence environments are characterised by both transnational and domestic challenges. These challenges include terrorism, insurgency, banditry, and conflicts between farmers and herders. Additionally, we face widespread economic crimes related to oil and gas pipeline vandalism, as well as secessionist agitations, among other concerns. In addressing these challenges, the Nigerian Army has prioritised equipment upgrades and manpower boosts in the past decade,” he said at the conference.
He said the intensity of the commitment to resolving the security issues at hand has made it difficult to “comprehensively review how we train to fight today’s battle with the modern equipment we have acquired vis-a-vis the nature of the threat we face”.
The Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Nigerian Army, Major General Kelvin Aligbe, had earlier said the conference was to build the capacity of the Army’s officers and men to deal effectively with the country’s security challenges.
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