Army Launch Motorcycle To Reduce Response Time To Crime

The Nigeria Army has launched the use of motorcycles in its operation to end insurgency in the troubled parts of the country, aimed at reducing response time to crime.

Receiving the Motorcycles on Monday in Jos, the Commander Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Major General Nicholas Rogers, said the effort is geared towards ensuring that combatant soldiers get to every nook and cranny of volatile areas on time.

Rogers said that the motorcycle which is coming under its new campaign tagged, “Operation Motorcycle Battalion”, is to also enable soldiers get to areas that are not motorable in the hinterlands.

His words, ” the launch of Operation Motorcycle Battalion, is as a result of the fight against insurgents and the essence is to reach areas where vehicles can not reach and also, to access areas where we have challenges on foot patrol.

“This time around, the motorcycles have the capacity to move faster to the interior areas to meet up with the challenges of insecurity in the hinterlands where movement of motor vehicles are restricted”.

The OPSH boss is also quoted saying that, the Chief of Army Staff, Major Gen. Tukur Buratai and his counterpart, the Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, dimmed it fit to strategies towards this direction and has mobilised the motorcycles to various troubled parts of the country.

The motorcycles which were launched at Sector Nine of the OPSH District, in Ryiom Local Government area of Plateau State, are to be deployed to Barkin-ladi, Mangu, Wase and Ryiom LGA’s, which are the areas that has flash points of terrible terrain, Rogers said.

The Army boss said the choice of Ryiom for the launch, is as a result of the various criminal activities that are rampant in that area, such as Cattle rustling, Armed robbery, Communal clashes, etc.

He charged soldiers (operators of the motorcycles), for proper maintenance, saying that he will hold them responsible if the motorcycles are misused.