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BY Philip Nwosu
Officers and soldiers attached to the Nigerian Army end-of-the-year operation Exercise Still Water in Lagos have been warned to stay away from politicians and concentrate on the exercise geared towards flushing out criminals from Lagos and Ogun states.
The General Officer Commanding(GOC) 81 Division who gave the warning told the soldiers that “this period is electioneering; that you are out here, outside the barrack, does not give you the privilege and freedom to go and start fraternising with politician, to go an provide security services to any politician. You are supposed to remain apolitical; you are not supposedto support any individual who is a politician or any political party.
“You are suppose to provide safety and security to everybody without fear or favour; the only person you can take instruction from is the person who is immediately above you, your platoon commander,your company commander for the platoon commander, the battalion commander for the company commander, the Brigade commander for the Battalion commander.”
He said for soldiers to carry out any assignment they must take instructions from their immediate commander, adding that for the soldier to carry out any operation, due process must be followed and that that due process is in order of hierarchy. General Ajunwa warnedthat any form of laxity and indiscipline will not be tolerated, and that soldier who fails to comply with the orders will be severely punished.
General Ajunwa while flagging off of Exercise Still Water at Foru Terminal, Ikorodu Road, Ojota Motor Park, Lagos State, stated that the whole idea of the exercise was to assess troops in various aspects of leadership, CIMIC, critical knowledge of maneuver, and its application as well as command and control in military operations other than war in a multi-agency setting.
The GOC noted that the exercise would provide a good opportunity for conducting joint operations with other Services and relevant security agencies to strengthen inter-agency cooperation for the efficient conduct of operations in aid of civil authority.
Earlier the 9 Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Insang Akpaomuntia said that intelligence reports indicated that cult groups were planning to take over some key areas of the state, including, Oworonshoki, Apapa, Surulere, Ajao estate, Mushin, and Ojo.
He said that troops of the brigade would be deployed to flush out the criminals in real time operations during exercise period which will last from October 18 to December 23, 2022.
