The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Olufemi Oluyede, has charged troops of Operation Fansan Yamma (OPFY) to flush out remnants of bandits and criminal elements in the North-West region.
Oluyede gave the charge during his maiden operational visit to troops under the OPFY in Gusau, Zamfara, on Monday.
The CDS said his visit was to assess readiness of soldiers, address their challenges, and boost their morale in the ongoing fight against banditry and kidnapping in the region.
He declared that Nigeria must be made safe “at all costs” amid renewed military efforts with enhanced aerial support.
“My charge to the troops is clear: they should go out there and eliminate all these criminals. We must make Nigeria safe at all costs,” he said.
Oluyede reaffirmed the military’s determination to rid the North-West of banditry, stressing that sustained pressure on criminal groups would eventually restore law and order in the region.
The CDS, while acknowledging existing limitations of aerial support, assured that efforts were ongoing to strengthen the Nigerian Air Force’s operational capacity.
“We are doing our best based on the platforms available. These resources are being shared across multiple theatres of operation.
The government is however, working to acquire more platforms to support the ground troops,” he said.
The defence chief commended the Zamfara Government and residents for their continued support to the military operations.
Oluyede noted with delight the recent procurement of armoured vehicles, including Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) platforms.
He said the assets would enhance operational effectiveness in the entire North West region.
The CDS, however, appealed for more collaboration from local communities in the area of intelligence gathering.
The Defense chief emphasized the need for credible information, which he said, remained critical to dismantling the bandit networks in region.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
reports that the Defense Chief later paid a courtesy visit on Gov Dauda Lawal of where they held a close door meeting before his departure.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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