Reps Hail Military, Others Over Progress Made Against Insurgency
****As Reps organise fact-finding meeting into Kaduna drone mishap
By Torkwase Nyiekaa, Abuja
The Federal House of Representatives has commended the Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and other security agencies on the proactive efforts against insurgents, terrorists and curbing civil unrest across the country.
Hon. Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi, member representing Gummi/Bukuyum Federal Constituency from Zamfara State, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations, made the commendation during the fact-finding meeting held with the Chief of Defence Staff with a view to “thoroughly examine the root causes of these unfortunate incidences and identify effective remedies to prevent their reoccurrence in the future.”
While commending the ongoing efforts toward combating insurgency and terrorism as well as curtailing civil rest across the country, Hon. Suleiman Gumi specifically commended the “unwavering dedication and tireless efforts of the Nigerian Army in safeguarding the territorial integrity of our beloved nation.
“Their commitment to defending our borders both externally and internally ensures that we can sleep soundly at night, knowing that our safety and security are being firmly protected.
“In the face of numerous challenges and threats, both foreign and domestic, our brave soldiers stand steadfast on the frontline risking their lives to preserve the peace and stability of our nation.
“From combating insurgency and terrorism to maintaining law and order in the case of civil unrest, the Nigerian Army has consistently demonstrated unwavering resolve to uphold the sovereignty and dignity of our nation.
“Their resilience in the face of adversity serves as a beacon of hope and aspirations to us all.
“The loss of innocent lives is a matter of a cause of concern and urgency that demands our collective attention and action. It is imperative that we thoroughly examine the root causes of these unfortunate incidences and identify effective remedies to prevent their reoccurrence in the future.
“During our meeting today, we will engage in a comprehensive review of the operational procedures and protocols employed by the Nigerian Army in conducting drone operations, with a particular focus on enhancing safety measures to minimizing the risk of unfriendly fire and civilian casualties,” Hon. Gumi stressed.
In his presentation, the COAS who was represented by the Director of Operations of Defence Headquarters, N. I. Ilo explained that the Defence headquarters has put in place a “robust standard of operations that ensures safety of not just its personnel but civilians during operations.
“I must on behalf of the Armed Forces express our sincere regrets on the unfortunate incident at …in Kaduna State. I also ask the Almighty to forgive the shortcomings of those who lost their lives there.
“And we also want to thank the Senate as well as the House of Representatives for the support and necessary attention given to the Armed Forces during that trial. We also want to extend our thanks to the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was indeed a trying period for us.
“Be that as it may, I want to assure the House that the Armed Forces is a professional Armed Forces, a professional body and in the course of our discussion we will come to that.
“We do have rules and regulations that guide all our operations and from time to time we try to pass these rules and regulations through teachings and sometimes workshops to incorporate us.
“It’s unfortunate again over what happened, the Chief of Defence Staff has directed that all necessary steps are taken to ensure that such incident does not happen in the future to the best of military abilities.
“We are facing our challenges in the front. The high-powered delegation team was set up on the directive of the Chief of Defence Staff and they went who met the stakeholders and all concerned and they sat. In fact the Team which not only the Defence headquarters, the Services as well as the Ministry of Defence has rely helped our work.
“So, they came up with a report which is being reviewed. Maybe once they finish the review, the Defence headquarters will communicate that to the House.
“Once again, I want to say that what happened on that day was quite unfortunate and the military operation continues which I know you are all aware of.
“We are gaining successes here and there but the challenges still continue, but we will continue to dedicate ourselves to the security of this country, to ensure that we rid this country of criminal elements, so that we can make progress in all our activities,” he assured.
