Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Oluyemi Olatoye, has charged officers to prioritize sound operational planning, continuous rehearsals, and readiness in single, joint, and multi-agency security operations.
Olatoye gave the charge on Tuesday in Enugu while declaring open a four-day 82 Division Operations Planning Cadre (Training) 2025 for military, paramilitary, and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) officers.
He stressed that assumptions must have no place in operations, noting that only deliberate and well-thought-out planning, backed by rehearsals, guarantees operational success.
“The cadre is designed to refresh and deepen our knowledge of the operational planning process, thereby preparing us to operate confidently in single-service, joint-service, and multi-agency environments,” he said.
According to him, the training aligns with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede’s command philosophy, which emphasizes planning and leadership as key to translating the vision into reality.
“This cadre represents one of the Division’s deliberate efforts to equip personnel of the Nigerian Army, sister services, and other security agencies with operational training for improved outcomes. The battlespace we face today is fluid and unpredictable, heightened by asymmetric threats, and requires the ability to think critically and act decisively,” he added.
Highlighting security challenges in the Division’s Area of Responsibility (AoR), Olatoye listed secessionist agitations, armed robbery, kidnapping, crude oil theft, improvised explosive device (IED) threats, and farmers/herders clashes as major concerns.
He said the training would build capacity in areas such as the estimate process, military decision-making, intelligence preparation of the battlespace, and operational logistics.
The GOC expressed appreciation to the COAS for approving and supporting the training, as well as to the Nigerian Army War College, Abuja, and the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, for providing resource persons.
He urged participants to take full advantage of the opportunity by internalizing lessons, sharing experiences, and seeking clarifications where necessary.
The training, held from Sept. 1 to Sept. 4, drew participants from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Federal Fire Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Department of State Services, and NEMA, among others.
