Men of the Nigerian Army have killed 3 suspected terrorists in Kaduna state.

It was gathered that the suspected terrorists were on transit to repair their motorbikes on Friday when the army troops laid ambush and kill three of the terrorists.

“In a recent successful Counter terrorism operation, Nigerian Army troops have neutralized a group of terrorists in an ambush operation in Kaduna State. Acting on credible intelligence, the troops targeted the terrorist group, known for using motorbikes to carry out nefarious activities in the region.

During the operation on Friday, (5) April 2024, around Kidandan Village, Giwa Local Government of Kaduna State, the troops engaged the terrorists in a gun battle, neutralizing 3 of them. The terrorist group was on transit to repair their motorbikes, which they used as mobility when unleashing their acts of terror on the populace in Kaduna State and across the Northwest region.

The operation also led to the recovery of one Ak 47 Rifle, one stock Ak 47 Rifle, 4 motorbikes, and one Motorola Radio.

The Nigerian Army remains committed to the ongoing Counter terrorism Counter insurgency Operations to ensure the safety and security of the populace. We therefore enjoin members of the public to continue to support Nigerian Army troops and other security operatives as they continue to strive to mitigate security challenges in the country”, the Army press statement reads in quote.

Meanwhile, the Army War College, Nigeria (AWCN) has celebrated the graduation of 42 participants from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) who completed Module 3 of Course 8/2024.

According to statement issued on Saturday by Major Hashimu Sa’ad Abdullahi, the College Public Relations Officer, “The ceremony, held on Friday, 5th April 2024, at the College lecture hall in Asokoro, Abuja, marked the culmination of their intensive 3 weeks training program.

In his address, Commandant AWCN, Major General Ishaya Maina, commended the participants for their dedication and the significant progress they achieved during the three-week course. He urged them to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in their respective workplaces, emphasizing the importance of serving as exemplary ambassadors of the College. Major General Maina also expressed gratitude to the management of the participating MDAs for their collaboration with the College in facilitating the training.

Among the participating MDAs were the Office of the National Security Adviser, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps. Others are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Department of State Services, Nigerian Correctional Service, and National Emergency Management Agency.

During the intensive three-week training program, participants engaged in a series of lectures covering various topics, including Inter-Agency Cooperation and Coordination, Critical Thinking, Legislative Perspectives on Military Operations, National Security Strategy, and Legal Perspectives on Military Operations, among others. Additionally, they had the privilege of interacting with the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General T.A Lagbaja.

In his vote of thanks on behalf of the MDAs, Superintendent of Narcotics, LK Uba expressed appreciation to the College’s management for the comprehensive training program and the opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of certificates to the graduating participants, symbolizing their successful completion of the Course and their readiness to contribute effectively to their respective roles in safeguarding national security interests”

Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Nigerian Army Public Relations Officer, in a statement few hours ago said:  “The Nigerian Army (NA) has noted the appalling misinformation being circulated by an online media platform, that some allegedly aggrieved soldiers who were recently arraigned before a Court Martial in 82 Division, Enugu expressed concern that there was a deliberate effort to convict soldiers of Southern extraction, while those from Northern Nigeria were allowed to go free.

Contrary to the misleading report being circulated to cause disharmony within the NA and by extension the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN), the NA wishes to clarify and unequivocally aver that the report is entirely bereft of any strand of truth and ultimately aimed at disparaging the current leadership of the NA in particular and the AFN in general, using the instrumentality of ethnic and religious bigotry.

Notably, the composition of the Court Martial was not based on regional representation, rather, the membership of the court was diverse, with personnel drawn from various regions of the country. It is exigent to note that the President of the Court Martial is of northern extraction, while the Judge Advocate is from the South. Additionally, 60 per cent of the Court Martial members are of Southern extraction, demonstrating a fair and balanced representation, even though religion and ethnicity are not major focal criteria in the decision making process of the NA.

The decision of a Court Martial is collective and based on evidence presented during the trial. The said Court Martial tried the personnel, irrespective of their ethnic and religious affiliations and the outcome was determined strictly based on the evidence presented. In espousing the position of the NA in the cases mentioned in the report, taking that of Private (PTE) Usman Shonva for instance, wherein evidence revealed that there were other soldiers at the scene of the incident, who also fired their weapons, hence, the court, based on this finding among others, reached the conclusion that the shot that killed the dead soldier could have been fired by any of the soldiers at the scene, thus, leading to his discharge and acquittal.

It must be emphasized, that the NA does not task its personnel (including for court martial membership) on a regional basis in order to achieve “national spread”.
The NA is a composite national institution and not an ethnic militia. It will therefore not bite the odious bait being dangled to induce splintering along sectional, ethnic and religious fissures. The court martial proceedings were conducted in a fair and unbiased manner. It is advisable therefore, that the concerned online media refrains from peddling misinformation capable of engendering disaffection and disharmony among NA personnel, other services and security personnel. We urge the public to note the true picture and discountenance the false report published by the online media platform. Continued spread of the misinformation will only serve the ulterior motive of the author, which is to cause disharmony in the NA.

The NA is committed to upholding justice, equity and discipline within its ranks, and will continue to ensure that all personnel are treated fairly and in accordance with the law”.

Onyema in another statement on Saturday said; “The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja has commended troops of 1 Brigade Nigerian Army for their resilience and sacrifice in the fight against terrorism and insurgency in North West Nigeria. The Army Chief gave the commendation today Saturday 6 April 2024, when he paid an operational visit to 1 Brigade Area of Responsibility, in Gusau, Zamfara State, where he was briefed by the Commander 1 Brigade Brigadier General Sani Ahmed on troops’ activities and successes in the conduct of ongoing Operation Desert Sanity II in Zamfara and the contiguous states.

General Lagbaja pledged more support for the Brigade in the form of Combat enablers and other operational requirements to enhance their operational effectiveness in safeguarding their Area of Responsibility.

The COAS also seized the opportunity to pay a courtesy visit to the Emir of Gusau, His Royal Highness, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Bello Sarkin Katsinan Gusau, where he expressed appreciation to the royal father and the good people of Gusau for their support to the troops and the Nigerian Army in general. He assured him that with continued support and cooperation of the people, terrorism and insurgency will be stopped”

On Friday, Onyema in a statement indicated that; “The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja has charged troops of the Nigerian Army, who recently graduated from Exercise Restore Hope VI to justify the resources expended on training them by ensuring resounding multiplying effects in the theatres of operations across the country.

The COAS gave the charge Friday 5 April 2024 at the graduating ceremony of troops, who had just concluded three months rigorous training in the 6th series of Exercise Restore Hope at the Nigerian Army Training Centre Kachia, Kaduna State. The Post Depot training Exercise aims at sharpening the tactical, shooting, physical fitness and Special Operations skills of the troops, preparatory to their deployment.

Speaking further, after observing Combat demonstrations by the graduating troops, General Lagbaja expressed delight that the Nigerian Training Team has successfully taken over the responsibility of conducting Exercise Restore Hope from their foreign partners, who at the onset delivered the training package. He expressed confidence that the competencies and skills acquired during the training have enhanced the troops’ combat readiness and would be a game changer, when they are finally deployed in the operational theatres. He added, that he looks forward to positive feedback from their exploits in the field.

The COAS appreciated the President, Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his relentless support to the Nigerian Army. He equally extended his gratitude to the Honourable Minister and Minister of State for Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff and other Service Chiefs for their efforts in building the capacity of the Nigerian Army to deliver on its constitutional mandates.

The Chief of Training (Army) Major General Gambo Mohammed in his remarks noted that so far, the initiative which commenced in July 2021 has successfully trained a total of 3,633 Nigerian Army personnel, including the 545 that just graduated today.

After the graduation ceremony, the COAS proceeded to the Nigerian Army School of Artillery (NASA), also in Kachia, where he commissioned a newly constructed 600 seat capacity refectory for trainees of the school. The refectory is fully equipped with a borehole, Kitchen, air-conditioning and CCTV cameras to meet international standards”.