By Harriet Tornguvan
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has charged newly trained recruits of the Nigerian Army to decisively confront bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements threatening the nation's peace and security.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Restore Hope Programme for the 90 Regular Recruit Intake at the Depot Nigerian Army Shooting Range in Zaria, Kaduna State, the Army Chief said the country was passing through a critical phase marked by persistent security challenges.
According to a statement by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, Lieutenant General Shaibu urged the recruits to demonstrate courage, professionalism and unwavering commitment in the discharge of their duties.
He noted that criminal elements operating as bandits and kidnappers had continued to inflict hardship on citizens through abductions and the destruction of lives and property, stressing that the military must remain resolute in confronting the threats.
"The security challenges confronting Nigeria today are complex, uncertain and ambiguous. Terrorism, banditry and other asymmetric threats demand not only courage, but also intelligence, discipline and strategic thinking. The era of relying solely on conventional responses to unconventional threats is behind us," the Army Chief said.
Shaibu reminded the recruits, who are scheduled to be formally inducted into military service in two days, that they must remain professional and uncompromising in dealing with criminal elements while adhering strictly to the Rules of Engagement and the highest standards of military ethics.
He congratulated the recruits for successfully completing what he described as modern and rigorous military training designed to prepare them for contemporary security challenges.
The COAS also assured the graduates that the Nigerian Army had acquired modern combat enablers and was pursuing the procurement of additional capabilities to enhance operational effectiveness and make military operations safer and more efficient.
He explained that the Restore Hope initiative was a specialised programme aimed at instilling professionalism, discipline, resilience and loyalty among recruits while equipping them with the skills required to respond effectively to the country's evolving security environment.
The graduation ceremony marked another milestone in the Nigerian Army's efforts to strengthen its human capacity and improve operational readiness in the ongoing fight against terrorism, banditry and other forms of criminality across the country.
