Nigerian Army Restrategising Against Security Challenges – COAS

Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has assured Nigerians that the Nigerian Army was restrategising on contemporary security challenges in order to improve the capability of various support elements to combat insurgency bedeviling the country.

Lagbaja, who said the army remains committed to upholding the tenets of the Nigerian Constitution, noted that the role of the army in the protection of the nascent democracy could not be over-emphasised.

Speaking in Akure, the Ondo State capital at the Nigeria Army Combat Support Arms Training (COSAT) week, the army chief informed that the army had already been fulfilling its duties by ensuring that Nigerians sleep with their two eyes closed.

According to him, this gathering would enhance conversations between top officers and retired generals on ways to adopt technology through research and development support to enhance the security measures of the country.

While promising that the Nigerian army would be transformed to adopt local indigenous capacity to address security challenges, the army boss said, “The critical place (importance) of COSAT has consistently been on the rise since the Nigeria civil war, we have continued to encourage professionalism and reposition the unit.”

He said, “Today’s gathering which brings about most of our renowned brains to chart a new way forward as warfare is constantly evolving. “

Speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of the event the  COAS, said the Nigerian Army, being a professional and a dynamic force was constantly exploring avenues to improve efficiency and effective delivery of security in every theatre of operation.

“This training taking place here in Akure is Combat Support Arms Training Week. It’s a week set aside in the army training calendar to allow the combat support corps to review the activity in the past year and evolve ways of doing things better in order to support the army operations.

“The theme of this year’s training is leveraging indigenous technology to enhance our training operations has been carefully selected taking into consideration the nature of the challenges that we are confronted with across the country.

“And the need to have technology as a leveler to enhance the efficiency of our formation and units in the fields.

“So, this is an avenue where senior military personnel, serving military personnel and even the executive from the industry will sit down and rob their minds and come up with better ways of conducting military operations and military activities. “

In his address, the acting governor of Ondo State, Lucky Ayedatiwa commended the selfless service and unwavering support of the Nigerian Army to the peace in the state.

Aiyedatiwa called for synergy between the army and the sister security agencies and the Amotekun corp established by South-West governors to stem security challenges in the state and southwest region.

He admonished them to adopt new security architecture to stimulate themselves for operational efficiency and national security.

Earlier, the commander of Corps Artillery, Maj.-Gen. MG Kagye said that the challenges of insecurity require deliberate efforts by combat support arms to enhance security measures in a joint environment.

He appreciated Nigerians for intelligence-gathering support to the army.