Chief Of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Yusuff Tukur Buratai on Monday called for enhanced cooperation for effective routing of insurgency and other organised crimes confronting the lake chad basin.
Buratai made this call during the opening of the Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital themed, “Appraising Nigeria’s army operational efficiency in contending contemporary national security challenges”.
At the event were the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, the State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude, top military officers among others.
Buratai while speaking noted that feats recorded so far by his men and other security agencies in battling insurgency and other cross-border crimes and war against terror needed more support from all and sundry.
The COAS said “The scourge of cross-border crimes like human and small arms trafficking, drugs peddling, smuggling, banditry, cyber threats, money laundering, espionage, terrorism and many others have created an interest for non-state actors that must be decimated by combined international efforts.”
Buratai while commending President Muhammadu Buhari for partnering with the international community in confronting challenges in the country, however, noted that there were successes recorded by the Multi-National Joint Task Force in routing crimes from the North-East region so far.
He said “The Nigerian Army leadership in concert with the grand strategic focus of Mr President has continued to devise means of engaging with other countries, especially our neighbouring countries towards tackling common traits in other to meet considerable international obligations for the overall promotion of global peace and security.”
Buratai also reiterated the military’s determination in defending the nation’s territory in line with the constitution.
Operations Rawan Kada and Deep Punch I and II, according to the military, were launched in the first quarter of 2017.
Buratai noted that this had helped the military to destroy terrorists’ strongholds and rescue abductees of the Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east.
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