From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
An organisation, Conference of Civil Society for Peace, Security and National Development, has attributed the capturing of many informants and elimination of top Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders in different forests across the country to the skilled coordination of the military by the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja.
The conveners of the civil society groups, Michael Msuaan, and Adamu Mohammed, said the chief of army staff and the military have maintained high tempo and kept the morale of the soldiers high ever since assumption of office.
They specifically noted that the army chief vowed on assumption of duty that the military, under his watch, would not condone the activities of unknown gunmen in the South East that held the people captive and declared a compulsory sit-at-home in the zone.
“Their activities reduced a bubbling economic zone into a grave yard with lives of people who dared to disobey the gun-wielding men eliminated and properties destroyed. Today, the activities of the gunmen have been crushed and normal life has returned to the South East with no more forceful sit-at-home. There is a breath of fresh air in the zone.”
The CSO further claimed there has been a significant reduction of Boko Haram and banditry activities along the axis of Kaduna, Zamfara and Niger states, attributing it to the intensive military onslaught on the criminals in the area.
“These states which used to be known for criminal activities have witnessed reduced violence with just pockets of cowardly attacks on the soft spot which will soon be nipped in the bud by the superior force of the military under the leadership of Lagbaja.”
The conveners equally extolled Lagbaja’s leadership trait, describing him as leading from the front. They attributed the high morale of the soldiers and their operational efficiency to the chief of army ataff, who has continued to provide effective leadership and enhanced welfare support for the troops.
The CSO also claimed there is significant improvement in oil production and reduction in oil bunkering in the country, noting that; “troops of the Nigerian Army have continued to tackle activities of pipeline vandals and oil thieves in the Niger Delta, arresting and destroying several illegal refineries in the oil-rich region for enhanced revenue generation for the country.
“Similarly, the activities of herdsmen leading to clashes with the farmers have also reduced significantly in the past months under the watch of Lagbaja and hope rises that such activities which has become a threat to food security will be permanently put to an end,” the conveners said.