General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Abubakar Wase has charged troops to sustain the tempo in ongoing operations aimed at denying bandits freedom of action in the division’s area of responsibility.
Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 1 Division, Lt.-Col. Shuaib Umar disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Kaduna.
Wase, who is also Commander, Sector 1 Joint Task Force, North West Operation Hadarin Daji, gave the charge during his visit to troops of 31 Artillery Brigade at Minna Military Cantonment, Niger State.
He commended the troops for their resilience and discipline, urging them to maintain professionalism and ensure force protection, while assuring them of sound administration under the Chief of Army Staff’s “Soldier First Concept.”
The GOC reiterated the Army’s commitment to restoring normalcy in the North West to encourage farming and business activities in line with the Federal Government’s drive for food security.
He further urged unit commanders to prioritise soldiers’ welfare as part of the Chief of Army Staff’s command philosophy.
During the visit, Wase was received and briefed by the Commander, 31 Artillery Brigade, Brig.-Gen. M.U. Jibo, before conducting a tree planting exercise and a tour of the 313 Artillery Regiment Hall of Fame and training facilities.
The GOC also visited Training and Doctrine Command, where he was received by Maj.-Gen. J.A.L. Jimoh, Chief of Doctrine and Combat Development, on behalf of the Commander, Maj. Gen. Kevin Aligbe.
He later paid courtesy visits to former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Bahago, and the Niger State Government House, where he was received by Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba.
(NAN)