Service chiefs have vowed to make the days ahead horrible for bandits, terrorists and bandits across the country.
They vowed to deploy more troops and firing power to hotspots to flush out the criminals for Nigerians to go about their daily routines unhindered and unmolested.
The service chiefs who spoke of the oncoming onslaught against the criminals yesterday at separate fora were the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao.
Apart from directing his personnel to sustain the tempo of operations, Amao said they must eliminate the terrorists for peace to reign in Nigeria.
Amao, who was represented by Air Vice Marshal Kenneth Kumzi yesterday at an Eid-el-Fitr lunch with personnel of “Operation Whirl Punch” and “013 Quick Response Force” in Minna, Niger State currently fighting terrorists in other parts of the North Central zone, urged the men and officers of the force not to relent in their efforts.
He said, “We must sustain the tempo of our operations and continue to fight gallantly until the insurgents, armed bandits and all other criminal elements are completely eliminated and peace returns to all troubled parts of our country.”
Air Marshal Amao said currently 312 officers, airmen and airwomen are undergoing various training abroad saying that they were cut across several specialties and trades.
He said in addition to those undergoing training abroad, 37 student pilots are undergoing Basic Fighter’s Training at 403 Flying Training School Kano and 87 others are also undergoing Basic Transport Training at 401 flying training School Kaduna.
The Chief of Air Staff said the trainings were aimed at maintaining combat readiness by increasing the number of pilots to man the ever-increasing inventory of the force aircraft.
Earlier, the commander of 013 Quick Response Force, Minna, Air Commodore Idowu Ayo, said the essence of the lunch was to appreciate them for their efforts in the ongoing fight Against Terrorism.
On his part, General Yahaya directed troops in all theatres of operations nationwide to decimate terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and ensure that the remnants surrender their weapons.
Yahaya gave the orders to the troops of “Operation Hadarin Daji” at the ground breaking ceremony of the Forward Operating Base (FOB), that will consist of residential and office accommodation, armoury with support facilities in Isa local government area of Sokoto State.
The FOB, with two others to be sited in Kebbi and Katsina states, is part of the measures to curtail the spread of insecurity especially, in the North West axis of the country.
The COAS, when he paid a courtesy visit to the state governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal at the council chamber said, when completed, the military base would provide adequate support to the troops fighting insurgency, in the entire North West.
He commended Governor Tambuwal, for granting the land for the construction of the base in the state within weeks of request and assured him that more troops would be deployed to the state.
In his remarks, Tambuwal assured the army chief that his administration would continue to support the army and other security agencies in the state.
He said all the security agencies in the state are working in synergy in the fight against criminal activities in the state.
Meanwhile, Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has called on Nigerians to stop referring to terrorists as bandits.
Sultan said, “calling them bandits means we are being soft on them, the better for us is to call them by their names, which is pure terrorist, and for that we should deal with them in that manner.
“More equipment and morale boosting activities need to be introduced to the Nigerian Army so as to encourage the soldiers fighting insurgency in the field.
“The Nigerian Army authority should find a way to immortalise troops who died on duty fighting insurgency and give maximum support to their families left behind as a way of encouraging others.”
While commending the Chief of Army Staff for the work he has been doing, Sultan charged him to do more so as to bring lasting peace back to the country
