By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
The Commander of Nigeria’s top military training echelon, the Training And Doctrine Command, (TRADOC), Major General Adeku Ademoh Salihu has warned that the successes recorded by the military and other security agencies in the fight against insurgencies in the North East of Nigeria and other places notwithstanding, the country was still a sort of a siege.
He said it was therefore not yet Uhuru as there was much to be done rather than roll out the drums for any celebration yet.
Maj. Gen. Ademoh Salihu noted that complacency could spell grave consequences as the successes recorded in routing Boko Haram from their stronghold of Sambisa forest and elsewhere in the north east region have forced the remaining vistages of the reactionary forces to take up hideouts within Comnunities where they hit on soft targets and unsuspecting members of the public to create impression that they were still strong and formidable with impressive force.
The TRADOC Commander stated at the opening of the joint Minna Military Cantonment end of the year’s West African Social Activities, (WASA) which held at the 313 Artillery Parade Ground at the weekend, that though Nigerian Army has made steady progress in routing Boko-Haram from their Sambisa stronghold in the north-eastern Nigeria, there were other potential security threats including cattle rustlers, kidnappers for ransom, armed bandits and other dangerous elements in parts of the country whose activities portend grave dangers for the country and it’s citizens.
The TRADOC Commander therefore called for a more Eagle eyed vigilance at all times by all citizens as Nigeria was still under a kind of a siege.
His words, “in spite of the achievements by the Military in it’s operations in the North-East, there still exist threats to security of the nation and it’s citizens at large and particularly here in Niger state” he said.
“I wish to implore all of us to continue to be more vigilant in this era of insecurity so as to nip in the bud such nefarious plots by miscreants in our society”.
He assured that troops of the Cantonment jointly operating with sister security agencies in the state were working hand in glove to check security threats in parts of the state.
Niger state has of late come under spotlight as one of the blackspots in the country with pockets of security challenges occasioned by the activities of cattle thieves, kidnappers, armed robbers and other bandits.
Maj. Gen. Ademoh Salihu disclosed that Niger state was amongst states in the country that were under special security watch adding that “troops of the Cantonment in conjunction with other sister security agencies in the state were currently on special assignment in places like Munya, Shiroro, Alawa forest and Pandogari to rid the state of elements such criminal elements as cattle rustlers, kidnappers and other men of the underworld”.
The 2017 WASA could not be celebrated by the headquarters of TRADOC Cantonment last year due to commitments of Nigerian Army to secure lives and properties of citizenry.
The TRADOC Commander reminded Nigerians on the need to be security conscious in whatever they do because according to him, criminally minded elements were on the loose looking for slightest chances to perpetrate their nefarious activities.
Niger state which has the largest land mass in the country, has about 10 percent of the entire lamdmass of the country. The forested bushes in parts of the state serves as hideout for criminals. Some parts of the state have of late been faced with security challenge.
The year 2017 WASA was laced with lots of cultural, theatriticals and cultural displays by troops representing various ethnic groups in the Cantonment and playlet promoting unity amongst the various Nigerian tribes, religion and languages.
