STF moves to end Fulani herdsmen attacks, perfects cordon and search operations

The Special Task Force (STF), saddled with the responsibility to restore peace in the troubled parts of the North, recently, has doubled its efforts in ensuring that the incessant Fulani herdsmen attack that has hitherto bedeviled Southern Kaduna in Kaduna State is brought to an end and does not spill over to other neighbouring states.

Part of the desperate moves in nipping the crisis in the bud and bringing it to an end has ignited a strike force training base situated at Nimbia Camp in forest location between the border town of Kaduna and Plateau States, to perfect in all military tactics in which Cordon and Search Operation is taking the led as a tactical military formation in ending the current face-off between the Fulani and the indigenous inhabitants of Southern Kaduna.

Speaking to newsmen after an impeccable display by men of the STF on Cordon and Search formation, Major Gen. Rogers Ibe Nicholas posited thus, “it has become imperative to intensify in the Cordon and Search Operations considering the current security challenges facing the nation; we are however, crossing the borders, as a result of the incidence in Southern Kaduna, moving in to forestall a spill over into Plateau.

“We shall also be having an exercise tagged ‘Harbin’kunama 2’ aimed at dealing with all the security challenges as it affects Southern Kaduna; therefore the build up training exercise in the camp in respect to Cordon and Search, is a build up towards the ‘Harbin’kunama 2′”, says Gen. Nicholas.

The Army boss said an initial exercise was held at the northeast, tagged Operation ‘Alkaleri’ in December 2016 by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, adding that the operation was a fallout of the Sambisa forest, also aimed at dealing with all the security threats in the said general area.

Our correspondent reports that the Cordon and Search formation includes the outer and inner cordon of a troubled area, with a search party dispatched, as well as mountain of a road block, with the combination of Military and Police operatives propel through a robust intelligent report.

The operation is pre-planed in details and when the area is effectively condoned off by the Military, a combined team of the Police and Military moves in to apprehend, search and screen the suspects, says the Army boss, Maj-Gen. Rogers Nicholas.