By Israel Adamu, Jos
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has approved the immediate deployment of the Chief of Army Staff Intervention Battalion, a special forces unit, to Plateau State to tackle the recent resurgence of banditry and other criminal activities.
The troops, who have already arrived in the state, are expected to aggressively and decisively confront bandits and other security threats, with military authorities expressing confidence that the deployment will be a game changer in addressing insecurity in the area.
Receiving the troops at the Headquarters of 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division and Commander of Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace, Major General Folusho Oyinlola, represented by the Chief of Staff, Operation Enduring Peace, Brigadier General Senlong Sule, welcomed the special forces and urged them to be firm, decisive and ruthless in carrying out offensive operations against criminal elements.
In a statement signed by Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace, the GOC commended the proactive leadership of the COAS for providing the necessary combat enablers and logistics to ensure the effective execution of the troops’ mandate.
Major General Oyinlola also appealed to residents of Plateau State not to panic at the sight of increased troop movements and the deployment of heavy military equipment, assuring them that the measures are aimed at restoring peace and security.
He thanked the people of the state for their continued support to the military and called for sustained cooperation, particularly through the provision of timely and actionable intelligence on the whereabouts of criminal elements, to enable troops to achieve lasting peace in the state.
