By Chimezie Godfrey
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has charged graduating recruits of the Nigerian Army to confront bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements with decisive force in order to restore peace and security across the country.
According to Colonel Appolonia Anele, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, the Army Chief gave the charge on Thursday during the graduation ceremony of recruits under the Restore Hope initiative for the 90 Regular Recruit Intake at the Depot Nigerian Army Shooting Range, Zaria.
Anele said the COAS told the recruits that Nigeria is passing through a critical phase in its history, with criminal groups masquerading as bandits and kidnappers inflicting hardship on citizens through abductions and destruction of lives and property.
“The security challenges confronting Nigeria today are complex, uncertain and ambiguous. Terrorism, banditry and other asymmetric threats demand not only courage, but also intelligence, discipline and strategic thinking,” Shaibu said.
“The era of relying solely on conventional responses to unconventional threats is behind us.”
The Army Chief urged the recruits, who are expected to be formally inducted into military service in two days, to remain professional, disciplined and uncompromising in the discharge of their duties while operating within the Rules of Engagement and established military ethics.
He congratulated them on successfully completing what he described as a modern and rigorous military training programme designed to prepare them for the realities of contemporary warfare and internal security operations.
Shaibu also assured the recruits that the Nigerian Army has continued to strengthen its operational capabilities through the acquisition of modern combat equipment and the pursuit of additional military assets aimed at enhancing effectiveness on the battlefield.
According to him, the investments are intended to make military operations more efficient and safer for personnel deployed across various theatres of operation.
The Restore Hope initiative is a specialised programme of the Nigerian Army aimed at instilling professionalism, discipline, resilience and loyalty to the nation, while equipping recruits with the skills required to tackle emerging security threats confronting the country.