FG to deploy fresh 5,937 soldiers fight banditry – COAS

Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), said 5,937 soldiers who passed out from the Depot Nigeria Army will be deployed to fight banditry and cattle rustling among other security challenges in the country.

The Chief of Army staff disclosed this during the Passing out Parade of the 86 regular recruit intake of Depot Nigeria Army in Zaria.

Lagbaja, who was the Reviewing Officer of the parade, stated that the passing out of the recruits today would form part of the solution to numerous security challenges bedevilling the country.

“The fresh products of the Depot Nigeria Army that would be passing out today would form part of the solution to the challenge of insurgency in the North-East, banditry and cattle rustling in the north-west.

“Others would fight the farmers herders clashes in the north-central, secessionist agitation and cultism in the south-east, militancy and vandalization of critical national assets and infrastructure in the south-south and south west,” he said.

The COAS noted that training was a continuous process in the military, as such, the Nigeria Army had put in place post-depot training packages to help the soldiers master its array of weapons and equipment.

This, according to him, would enable the soldiers to become more efficient in the art of war.

COAS said the army was improving the existing welfare packages to enable the soldiers cater for their medical, recreational and educational needs for smooth sailing to their career fulfillments.

Lagbaja who congratulated the 5,937 new recruits, said the life of a soldier was a life of sacrifice to his country, allegiance to defend and if need be sacrifice his life for the people.

“Sacrifice to go wherever you are ordered to by land, sea or air; sacrifice to relegate personal comfort and assume duty to country as a primary concern,’’ he said.

He said “by becoming a soldier you had accepted the highest call to duty any Nigerian can take-up”.

COAS added that as soldiers, they had joined the unique league of exceptional Nigerians who had elected to abide by the requirements of exceptional discipline, loyalty, integrity and dedication to duty.

Lagbaja, therefore, charged them not to disappoint the Nigeria Army and the country’s expectations on them.