Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, confirmed that the sit-at-home directive imposed by the Indigenous People of Biafra in the South-East has now come to an end.
During his address at the COAS combined second and third quarters conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Lagbaja emphasized that the menace had come to an end as a result of the enhanced efforts of his troops and fruitful partnerships with relevant stakeholders.
IPOB in August 2021 commenced the sit-at-home order to demand the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, from prison.
The order impacted the economy in the region and resulted in the loss of lives and properties of residents in the South-East.
He said,
- “We have equally heightened our efforts in containing criminalities perpetrated in the South East Region by the Indigenous People of Biafra and Eastern Security Network. Through Operation Udo Ka, our troops have, in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders, put an end to the infamous sit-at-home order that has almost crippled socio-economic activities in the Region.
- “Law-abiding citizens of the Region now go about their businesses and everyday life. Similarly, our joint efforts with various government agencies have quelled attempts by criminals to disrupt economic activities in the South West Region.”
Lagbaja further disclosed that the actions of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups had been significantly restrained, noting that residents in the affected states had resumed their commercial endeavours.
He said,
- “It is heart-warming to note that our activities in Operation Hadin Kai in the North East have effectively curtailed Boko Haram and other terrorist activities in the Region. Overall, our efforts have resulted in the large-scale surrender of members of the terrorist groups and the submission of a large cache of arms and ammunition.
- “The good people of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States are steadily picking up their livelihood as the military, in collaboration with the government, is helping to restore governance to the hitherto deprived areas.”
According to him, the Nigerian Army “The Nigerian Army has established some Special Forces units using specially trained personnel to tackle various criminalities across the Country.
“The Special Forces units have continued to record impressive performances through intelligence-led operations and the use of special equipment. As we continue to procure and induct more sophisticated platforms and equipment into the various theatres as force multipliers, I charge field commanders to ensure the maintenance of these platforms and equipment to prolong their life span and enable the nation to optimize its investment.”
The welfare of the Troops
In addition, he pledged that under his watch, the welfare of troops and their families would be given priority.
- “To this end, troops’ welfare and that of their families will remain predominant in all our efforts. I intend to consolidate all existing welfare arrangements to enhance the well-being of our troops and their families, as this will keep them focused on their tasks.
- “In addition to providing befitting living quarters for our personnel, we shall ensure the newly introduced ‘Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers Scheme’ designed to provide affordable and high-quality post-service homes for our soldiers”, Lagbaja said.
More insights
Lagbaja said the quarterly conference was designed to provide a veritable platform to review the conduct of the army’s administrative, training, logistics, and operational activities, as well as other key issues relating to the service.
He urged the senior officers and commanders to brainstorm and holistically review all operations and related activities carried out by the army in and outside Nigeria within the period under review.
There is still sit ay home,, go to onitsha main market, araratand see for yrsef on mondays