Babatunji Wusu –
Today, three training drills were flagged off simultaneously by Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
To assure the safety of people and property across the federation as the year comes to a close, the exercises are EXERCISE STILL WATERS 3, GOLDEN DAWN 3, and ENDURING PEACE 3.
The exercises, which aim to address the security issues in Nigeria’s South, South East, South West, and North Central regions, will take place concurrently in each of the aforementioned geopolitical zones till the end of the year.
General Lagbaja, who was in charge of launching the exercise, insisted that it was designed to address a variety of new security threats specific to the affected geographical zones and to lessen their escalation in the final three months of the year. In the spirit of the holidays, he continued, this is the time of year when many Nigerians travel throughout the nation, requiring the need for a secure environment where people may go about their lawful business without fear or worry.
However, Gen. Lagbaja ordered the soldiers to perform their tasks properly while abiding by the law and established rules of conduct. The Army Chief stated that “We should not be a problem for the citizens we are trying to protect”.
In the same vein, the COAS also launched “EXERCISE CLEAN SWEEP” at the Nigerian Army Cantonment in Maryland, Ikeja, Lagos to clear Unexploded Explosive Ordnances from the scene of the tragic bomb attack that happened there in 2002.
The Army Chief stated during the flag-off ceremony that the exercise’s goal is to totally sanitize the site of the Ikeja bomb incident and rid it of any confirmed or suspected unexploded explosive devices still lying about the cantonment.
The Nigerian Army must conduct a follow-up clearance exercise in the Cantonment and its surroundings, he added, noting that initial clearance operations had already ensured some level of safety in the Cantonment and its surroundings. This was due to the recent discovery of some Unexploded Explosive Ordnances at the blast site.
The COAS advised the public, especially those in Lagos and Ogun states, not to panic when they see the movement of special military vehicles or hear the sound of explosions during the conduct of the exercise. The exercise will last for 61 days. He reaffirmed that the necessary safeguards had been put in place to ensure an accident-free workout. He added that all relevant emergency and response organizations, including the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps, State Emergency Management Agency, and the Medics, will collaborate to ensure the exercise’s success in accordance with international best practices.
Gen. Lagbaja thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who serves as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, for his unwavering support of the Nigerian Army as it fulfills its constitutional obligations. He promised that such a regrettable tragedy will never occur again in Nigerian Army cantonments.
The Chief of Staff, Mr. Tayo Ayinde, the Oba of the Onigbongbo Kingdom, HRH Oba Adeyemi Ajasa, Corps Commanders, Principal Staff Officers of the Army Headquarters, General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command, and Heads of security agencies in Lagos State were among those present at the event.
The COAS then visited Headquarters 192 Battalion, Owode, Ogun State, and made a courtesy call on His Royal Majesty Oba Rilwan Akiolu I, the Oba of Lagos.
