Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The acting Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, has ordered the Nigeria Army, to crush the new terror group Lukarawa which is now active and unleashing mayhem on innocent citizens in parts of Sokoto and Kebbi states.
Gen. Oluyede gave the order when he visited the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto on Sunday.
He expressed sadness that the new terror group is now inducing youths in the states into its fold.
Recall that the Defence Headquarters had last week identified Lukarawa as a new terror group operating in Kebbi and Sokoto states.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, said the terror group is affiliated with jihadi factions in Mali and Niger, raising security concerns in the northwestern region of the country.
“The emergence of the group is linked to political instability in Mali and Niger, which has fuelled the spread of extremist elements into Nigeria. He explained that this group is a direct fallout of the political instability in these neighbouring countries,” he said.
The COAS urged residents to help volunteer accurate and timely information to the troops to help them in the fight against insecurity.
He said: “I am here to assess my troops. You see, there will always be challenges. The issue is how we react to these challenges. One of the reasons I am here is to charge up my soldiers to rise to the challenge, and that we shall do.
“My charge to the community people is for them to support us. If we don’t get their support we can’t succeed. And if we don’t succeed that means the country won’t be secured. We need the support of Nigerians so that we can have economic prosperity in the country.
“I am here to see my soldiers to assess their state of readiness and to charge them to continue to do what they have been doing best to secure the country in general.”
The COAS also visited the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and other relevant stakeholders in the state.
Ikengaonline learned that he also held talks with troops of Operation FASAN YANMA in order to motivate them.
