The Acting Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, today embarked on an operational tour to Sokoto State in the 8 Division Area of Responsibility.

Recall that the state is now a hotbed for the trending terrorist group from Chad and Mali, popularly called ‘Lakurawa,’ who are now seizing livestock and taxing residents at gunpoint.

Revealing the outcome of the operational visit, the spokesman of the army, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, hinted that the Acting COAS, upon arriving in Sokoto in the early hours of the day, immediately proceeded to Forward Operations Base Tangaza and the 248 Battalion in Illela, where he received briefs on the security situation from the General Officer Commanding 8 Division, Brigadier General Ibikunle Ajose.

Addressing troops deployed in Tangaza and Illela, Gen. Oluyede commended the troops for their sacrifice and commitment in the ongoing fight against terrorism and insurgency in the North West zone of the country. He disclosed that he was on an operational tour to obtain first-hand information and assess the security situation and challenges of the troops.

The Army Chief assured them of his full support and encouragement to decisively deplete the activities of terrorists and insurgents in their respective areas of responsibility and the North West zone in general.

He charged the troops to shun any form of complacency that could jeopardise ongoing operations to overcome the security challenges bedevilling the region.

The Acting COAS, while interacting with the Chairman of Tangaza Local Government Area, Honourable Bashir Salihu, traditional heads, and heads of security agencies at Illela, urged for synergy and collaboration with the troops.

He called on the people to support the troops with credible information, adding that it is with their support that the troops will effectively protect them and secure the nation as a whole.

“The Nigerian Army is the people’s Army, and Nigeria belongs to all of us. Without the support of the locals, the Nigerian Army cannot succeed. We must collectively do all it takes to defend our country,” Gen. Oluyede clarified.