By Augustine Ehikioya
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja has promised that the Nigerian Army in the five South Eastern States and Cross River State will work together with sister Security services to protect law-abiding citizens.
He warned trouble makers to steer clear of the 82 Division’s Area of Responsibility (AOR) as the troops are poised to deal with anyone disturbing the peace of the people.
The GOC said this in an exclusive interview with Security Watch Africa (SWA), in his office while calling on law abiding citizens to go about their lawful businesses without fear.
Recall that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has recently threatened to enforce a one-month sit-at-home protest in the South East if its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is not brought to court on 21st of October, 2021.
But according to Maj. -Gen. Lagbaja, the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army being the People’s Army will continue to deal decisively with every dissident groups and criminal elements in the zone.
He also said that the Army, which is being funded by taxpayers’ money, is strictly for the interest of the masses.
The GOC said “We reassure law abiding citizens in the South East zone that the military is out to protect them. So, they should come out, even when dissident and faceless people declare the so called sit-at-home because the military is out there, our patrolling activities and other operations we conduct are meant to guarantee safety of lives and properties of these law abiding citizens.
“So if they come out to the streets to conduct their lawful economic activities and businesses, we are out there to protect them. And I want to give that guarantee that we will continue to protect them so long as they are out on the street to conduct lawful economic activities and businesses. They have nothing to fear. The military is the people’s Army and we will continue to protect law abiding citizens,” he stated.
He however warned IPOB, other dissident groups and criminal elements to steer clear of the South East.
The South East, he said, is a no-go area for all trouble makers, as they are bound to meet their waterloo.
He said, “I just want to advice them and warn them that they should desist from such ventures or ideas, if they have any, because the South East zone is a no go area for dissident and criminal groups. Many criminal groups and dissident elements have met their waterloo in the 82 Division area of responsibility.
“So people toying with that idea or having that plan should just jettison it because if they come here, they will meet their waterloo. The troops are out to protect law abiding citizens. The troops are out to desimate the criminal elements and the dissident groups,” he said.
But to successful checkmate the activities of the dissident groups and criminal elements in the region, he urged the public not to withhold any useful information.
“We want the public to be forthcoming in reaching out to the military, especially when they observe the activities of the criminal elements that have constituted nuisance and brought a drawback to the economic activities in the South East region. Because it is when we receive information that we will act on it.
“The military rely on the people as lookout and as early warning system in the communities where they live. So that from the information we receive from the general public, we conduct our operations and curtail the activities of the criminal elements and other dissident groups.
“So, I appeal to the people to continue to be forthcoming and continue to reach out to the military. They do not need to come to our barracks to get across to the military. We have troops deployed across the length and breadth of the South East zone. And in all our deployment, even for our patrol units and teams that move around the area of responsibility, you can stop them at any time and reach out to them.
“Beyond that, the Nigerian Army has a help desk, the 193 short code and it’s very effective. So, if peradventure they passed any information across to the help desk, it will get to the formations and units that will intervene and conduct operations to nib the activities of the criminal elements in the bud. So, they should continue to reach out to us,” he urged.
Stressing that the Nigerian Army is the People’s Army, which is organized, equipped and maintained with public fund, he said that its focus is on protecting the public that fund and maintain the army.
“For all operations and other activities that we carry out in all the States covered by 82 Division, the people are our focus, so we go out there to protect the people. We have done a lot to carry the people along. We have the Public Information Desk, which people can report, complain and report criminal elements.
“And we act promptly on these complains and report that comes from the public. Beyond that, we engage in medical outreaches, we engage in so many other activities. If you visit our Medical Centres, because doctors are on strike across the Nation, the 82 Division Medical Services has taken the prompt of this doctors’ strike.
“If you visit our medical centres within our cantonment today, the bulk of the people you see there are civilians who are receiving medicare because the hospitals in town are on strike. They bring all these patients to our hospitals and they receive attention.
“We also supply water to the contiguous communities around our Cantonment because we have a well functional water works within the Barracks. So water tankers come to fetch water for supply to the immediate communities. These are avenues through which we reach out to the public and we will continue to maintain this reach out avenues and improve on it,” he pledged.
In line with the Chief of Army Staff vision to have a professional Nigerian Army ready accomplish assigned missions within a joint environment in defence of Nigeria, he said that no stone will be left unturned to maintain the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
“We conduct joint patrols with sister services and other security agencies. So, we are working with all to ensure that the vision of the Chief of Army Staff is accomplished and the mandate of the Federal Government to protect lives and properties is accomplished,” he said.