.…Normalcy in sight
By Kingsley Chukwuka
The Special Military Task Force, codenamed Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), has flagged off ‘Operation Hakorinn Dsmia IV’ in the troubled Mangu Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State.
The fresh military initiative is in response to the incessant killings that have taken place in the area since April, 2023.
The operation is designed with the mandate to flush out terrorists who have engaged in bloodbath in the general area for over three months.
Speaking during the launch, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Maj. Gen.Taoreed Lagbaja said the aim was to quickly dislodge the terrorists who have been responsible for many deaths in the locality.
Lagbaja said the sighting of the operational headquarters closer to the people directly affected was to demonstrate that the insurgents have not overwhelmed troops of the Nigerian Army.
He said one of the ways of bringing the menace to an end is when the public share genuine intelligence with the Army.
According to him: “The Nigerian Army is not overwhelmed in any respect. The Army and other security agencies have been responding to the crisis. The major key component is that in combating any crisis, the major component to add is what we call the three Trinity in the military, which are: the People, Government and the Military. So it is a careful balancing act.
“So if the military is working very effectively, and the people are not cooperating with the military, the result will be negative.
“So I ask for the cooperation of all stakeholders on the Plateau to give troops information and trust them with the truth and they will respond.
“Within the shortest space, we can now all see that the security situation in Mangu has been brought under control.
“There is stability in Mangu now.
“What we want to do is to project out to other parts of the Plateau, such that there will be peace even beyond the Plateau.
“Don’t forget: we are not overwhelmed. We are reacting appropriately, but we need the support of the larger society so we can be more effective.
Asked what hope the public has that the killings will be actually brought to an end, the COAS responded: “Be rest assured that the troops under my command will give their best and will stamp out every form of insecurity in the country and bring peace and stability to every law-abiding citizen.”
It would be recalled that Plateau State Governor, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang due to the escalation of the Mangu killings, two weeks ago imposed a 24-hour curfew on the locality.
But the curfew has been relaxed due the return of a certain degree of normalcy as a result of the intense bombardment by the military task force led by the Commander and General Officer Commanding (GOC), 3 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen Abdulsalam Abubakar, who has since relocated the headquarters of the division to Mangu upon assuming office.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.