By Augustine Ehikioya
Gearing up against insecurity, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja on Tuesday 10th October, 2023 simultaneously flagged off three training exercises.
The exercises are EXERCISE STILL WATERS 3, GOLDEN DAWN 3 and ENDURING PEACE 3 in an effort to ensure the protection of lives and property across the federation, as the year draws to an end.
A statement by the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General, Onyema Nwachukwu, and made available to Security Watch Africa (SWA), said that the Exercises, which are to curb the security challenges in the South South, South East, South West and North Central of Nigeria, are to run concurrently in the respective geopolitical zones till the year runs out.
Flagging off the Exercises, General Lagbaja maintained that “the exercises are to combat diverse emerging security challenges peculiar to the affected geopolitical zones, in order to mitigate the spiking of such challenges associated with the last quarter of the year.”
Noting that it is a period when many Nigerians travel around the country in the spirit of the Yuletide, he said there is need for a safe and enabling environment for citizens to go about their lawful businesses without fear or apprehension.
Gen Lagbaja however “charged the troops to carry out their duties diligently within the confines of the law and stipulated codes of conduct.
According to the Army Chief, “We should not be a problem to the citizens we are trying to protect”.
In the same vein, the COAS also inaugurated EXERCISE CLEAN SWEEP” at the Ikeja Cantonment, Lagos to clear Unexploded Explosive Ordnances at the site of the unfortunate 2002 bomb blast, which occurred then at the Nigerian Army Cantonment located at Maryland, Ikeja, Lagos.
Speaking during the flag off ceremony, the Army Chief revealed that the objective of the exercise is to completely disinfect the epicenter of the Ikeja bomb blast and clear it of all verified and suspected remaining Unexploded Explosive Ordnances lying around the cantonment.
He pointed out that initial clearance operations ensured some degree of safety in the Cantonment and its environ, adding that the recent discovery of some Unexploded Explosive Ordnances at the site of the blast raised the need for the Nigerian Army to carry out a follow-up clearance exercise in the Cantonment and its environ.
Stressing that the exercise will be conducted for 61 days, the COAS enjoined members of the public, particularly those in Lagos and Ogun States not to panic on sighting the movement of Special Military Vehicles and hearing the sound of explosion during the conduct of the exercise.
He assured that appropriate safety and security measures have been emplaced to guarantee an accident free exercise.
He disclosed further that in compliance with global best practice, all relevant emergency and response agencies, including the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps, State Emergency Management Agency and the Medics will work in synergy to ensure successful completion of the exercise.
Gen Lagbaja expressed appreciation to the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unflinching support to the Nigerian Army in pursuit of its constitutional responsibilities.
He assured that never again will such unfortunate incident be allowed in Nigerian Army Cantonments.
Present at the occasion were the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwoolu who was represented by the Chief of Staff, Mr Tayo Ayinde, the Oba of Onigbongbo Kingdom, HRH Oba Adeyemi Ajasa, Corps Commanders, Principal Staff Officers of the Army Headquarters, General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command, Heads of security agencies in Lagos State, amongst others.
The COAS later paid a courtesy visit to the Oba of Lagos, His Royal Majesty Oba Rilwan Akiolu I and visited Headquarters 192 Battalion, Owode, Ogun state.
