Military
Insecurity: DHQ reviews operation, holds joint simulation exercise

Insecurity: DHQ reviews operation, holds joint simulation exercise
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor on Wednesday, unveiled the Defence Headquarter (DHQ) joint simulation exercise and the review of ongoing Operation Whirl Punch.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Operation Whirl Punch is a DHQ led operation that deals with the menace of banditry and terrorism in Kaduna and Niger States.
Irabor said professionalism remained the thrust of the Armed Forces in addressing the prevailing security challenges in the country.
He said the simulation exercise was designed to reshape and review the operation in a bid to enhance operational effectiveness of the military,
The CDS added that joint training was needed to contend with the current issues and reposition personnel to effectively address future threats to the nation.
According to him, professionalism is a process and every organization will have to continue to review its structure and setting in a bid to get better.
“For us in the armed forces, a lot of mileage has been covered, but I will also indicate that we still have so much more to cover.
“Since we operate within a geographic environment which is within our geographical space, the contending issues are far beyond those within our space.
“They also involve those that are global in nature, some are made, others, of course, are natural.
“But as members of the armed forces, it is necessary for us to sieve these issues and have them properly contextualised and get ready to plan contingencies to be able to redress them.
“At any point in time when the armed forces are called upon, there would not be any reason for any excuse for failures.
“Currently, the armed forces, as you know, is engaged in various theatres across the country.
“Dealing with issues that are more internal in nature, which at some point have had to involve the resources and the capacities of the armed forces”, he said.
Irabor disclosed that the armed forces looked forward to assisting other agencies to increase their to respond to internal security challenges.
This, according to him, is to enable the military to focus more on issues that were traditionally its responsibilities.
He said it was a long term goal that the armed forces would continue to escalate in the interim, to sufficiently bring respite to the security environment.
The Chief of Defence Training and Operations, Maj.-Gen. Adeyemi Yekini, said the exercise was a follow up to one of the key decisions reached during the defence retreat at Asaba.
Yekini said the main objective was to find ways to further enhance jointness in military operations, working with other security agencies to overcome the contemporary security challenges facing the country.
This, according to him, is in line with the CDS’ leadership focus, which is to foster a professional armed forces.
Yekini therefore said there was no better way of fostering professionalism other than through joint training involving personnel of the three services.
“This exercise is designed to upgrade one of our key operations, Operation Whirl Punch, which is involved in counter terrorism and counter insurgency operation in Kaduna and Niger states.
“It is instructive to mention that the operation was recently reviewed to bring together under a unified command, the different civil service and police operations in the area.
“This review was followed by the launching of Operation Forest Sanity, which has substantially degraded enemy forces in the two states, thereby improving security along the general axes,” he said.
Yekini said the participants were expected to articulate lessons and observations derived during the exercise.
He urged them to be committed to the exercise and bridge the lapses already experienced by troops in the joint operations.
Insecurity: DHQ reviews operation, holds joint simulation exercise
Military
Troops repel Boko Haram/ISWAP attack in Gajigana, Borno

Troops repel Boko Haram/ISWAP attack in Gajigana, Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have repelled an attack by ISWAP terrorists on their Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Gajigana, Nganzai Local Government Area of Borno.
Zagazola Makama reports that the attack occurred at about 11:55 p.m. on Tuesday.
A reinforcement team joined the operation and engaged the insurgents in a clearance operation.
Sources told Zagazola that one Wednesday that several terrorists were killed while one soldier paid the supreme price in action, while another sustained injuries.
The injured personnel has since been evacuated for medical attention, while the remains of the fallen hero were moved to the 7 Division Military Morgue in Maiduguri.
Items recovered from the terrorists during exploitation include AK-47 rifle, a magazine loaded with 25 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, two Baofeng radios, and belted ammunition for a machine gun.
The sources added that the terrorists, who withdrew in disarray, were believed to have suffered several casualties, though the exact figure was not confirmed.
They explained that the general security situation in the area remains calm but unpredictable.
Troops repel Boko Haram/ISWAP attack in Gajigana, Borno
Military
CDS: African Defence Chiefs’ Summit will produce homegrown solutions to insecurity

CDS: African Defence Chiefs’ Summit will produce homegrown solutions to insecurity
By: Zagazola Makama
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, says the forthcoming African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit is designed to unite African militaries and provide indigenous solutions to the continent’s security challenges.
Musa disclosed this in an interactive session with journalists in Abuja on Saturday.
He said the summit would be the first time African defence leaders would sit together, as brothers, to openly discuss Africa’s problems and chart practical ways forward without relying on external prescriptions.
“For too long we have been seeking solutions from outside, and that has prolonged our issues. The reality is that our challenges are within us, and it is only within us that we will create the solutions,” Musa said.
According to him, the success recorded in West Africa through engagements among ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence informed the decision to scale up the initiative across the continent.
He noted that the operationalisation of the African Standby Force, which has faced delays due to challenges of doctrine, strategy and funding, would receive fresh impetus during the summit.
“This meeting gives us the opportunity to look at it holistically and get the buy-in of all Africans,” he added.
The CDS stressed that terrorism, insurgency and violent extremism were common threats across the regions, and only collective action could address them effectively.
He further emphasised the need for a “whole-of-society” approach, noting that insecurity was worsened by unproductive populations and widespread illiteracy that made youths vulnerable to extremist ideologies.
“We must go back to the African culture of brotherliness, of a community raising a child, of not allowing anything to harm your neighbour. That is the kind of solution we must revive,” Musa said.
On the level of participation, the CDS disclosed that about 90 per cent of invited countries had confirmed attendance, describing the response as overwhelmingly positive.
He said the summit would also feature dignitaries from within and outside the continent, including senior UN officials, retired service chiefs and security experts.
“The end state is a better Africa, a more secure Africa, and an Africa where we project and work for our own development. Nobody can love you more than yourself,” he said.
CDS: African Defence Chiefs’ Summit will produce homegrown solutions to insecurity
Military
Army troops, DSS operatives eliminate 45 bandits in Niger raid, foil attack on Kuchi

Army troops, DSS operatives eliminate 45 bandits in Niger raid, foil attack on Kuchi
By: Zagazola Makama
Joint security forces have neutralised at least 45 armed bandits in a coordinated security operation near Kuchi town in Munya Local Government Area of Niger State.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the operation, which took place in the early hours of Monday, was jointly executed by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and military tactical units acting on actionable intelligence.
The bandits, believed to be loyal to notorious kingpin Dogo Gide, were en route to launch coordinated attacks on communities around Kuchi before they were intercepted.
The source, who requested anonymity, disclosed that the insurgents estimated to be over 100 in number had mobilised from Bilbis forest in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara and other hideouts in Kaduna State.
“The intelligence we received showed that these fighters had assembled in numbers and were planning a large-scale assault on several villages in Munya LGA,” the source said. “The operatives moved in under cover of darkness and intercepted them before they could reach their targets.”
He added that the security forces engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle at the outskirts of Kuchi, resulting in the elimination of no fewer than 45 of the assailants, with several others escaping with gunshot wounds.
The operation also led to the recovery of multiple motorcycles, arms, and ammunition. However, five DSS operatives sustained injuries during the exchange and are currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed medical facility.
The successful operation is the latest in a string of offensives targeting criminal enclaves linked to Dogo Gide, whose network has suffered repeated blows in recent months.
Security agencies have pledged to sustain the momentum and intensify pressure on armed groups threatening peace in the North Central and North West regions.
“The terrain is difficult, but the results are encouraging. We will not relent until these threats are neutralised,” the source added.
Army troops, DSS operatives eliminate 45 bandits in Niger raid, foil attack on Kuchi
-
News1 year ago
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions4 years ago
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
Opinions4 years ago
POLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News1 year ago
EYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Columns1 year ago
Army University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
ACADEMICS2 years ago
A History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Opinions2 years ago
Tinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
-
Politics3 months ago
2027: Why Hon. Midala Balami Must Go, as Youths in Hawul and Asikira/Uba Federal Constituency Reject ₦500,000 as Sallah Gift