The Commander of the 12 Brigade Nigeria Army, Brig. Gen. Kasim Umar-Sidi, has assured that the Army will continue to do its best to ensure that bandits terrorising Kogi State are dealt with, enabling the people of the state to live peacefully.

Umar-Sidi stated this on Tuesday while addressing the executive members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kogi State Council, during a courtesy visit to his office.

While urging Nigerians to support security agencies in performing their statutory duties, the Commander noted that branding Nigeria as a disgraced nation and a country of concern due to the security challenges facing the country is not encouraging to the gallant soldiers staking their lives to defend it.

“Our officers and men are being killed in the sacrifice we make to keep this nation safe for the citizens. Any negative perception or report about our men or the military in general can dampen their morale.

“Therefore, people should not put issues through the prism of religion, which can not help us move forward as a nation, ” he stated.

Brigadier Umar-Sidi, who is the fifth Commander of the 12 Brigade, also advised Nigerians that “Whenever there are challenges, we should, as a people, put heads together to see how best we can solve them for the growth and development of the country.

“Nigeria is for all of us, and we don’t have another country we can call our own; therefore, we should put this nation first above any personal interest so that this challenge of insecurity can be tackled,” the commander added.

He commended the Correspondents’ EXCO for the courtesy visit and pledged the command’s readiness to partner with the chapel in disseminating the 12 Brigade Nigeria Army’s activities to the general public.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the Chapel, Comrade Segun Ademola Salami of Channels Television, told the Commander that the EXCO was in his office to seek partnership in publicising the efforts being made to secure the people of Kogi State.

Salami stated that the military, especially the 12 Brigade command, was doing a lot in Kogi in tackling kidnappers, bandits, and terrorists, but such notable achievements are underreported.

“I want to assure you that the Correspondents Chapel is very ready to partner with you and give the command the desired publicity,” Salami said.