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Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu has assured the public that troops are making progress in efforts to rescue the children and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State in April.
Shaibu gave the assurance while speaking with media executives in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
“Operations are currently ongoing to rescue those children abducted in Oyo State, and we are making tremendous progress,” the army chief said.
He said troops of the Nigerian Army have been deployed across the country’s six geopolitical zones to combat insecurity. According to him, troops under Operation Hadin Kai have recorded significant successes against insurgents in the North-East.
“Operation Hadin Kai has neutralised over 1,872 insurgents, while many terrorists have surrendered to troops,” he said.
Shaibu added that troops under Operations Enduring Peace, Whirl Stroke, and the newly established Operation Savannah Shield have also recorded breakthroughs in Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Kwara, Niger, and parts of Kogi states.
He said security in the South-East has improved significantly, noting that there were no reported security disruptions during the last Christmas celebrations.
“In the South-South, the nation’s oil output has improved, which is a testament to the success of operations against illegal bunkering, crude oil theft, and pipeline vandalism,” he said.
The army chief described the South-West as one of the country’s most peaceful regions, despite the recent abduction incident in Oyo State.
Shaibu also announced that the Nigerian government had approved measures to strengthen the Nigerian Army’s manpower to address emerging security threats.
He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had approved the establishment of a new Nigerian Army depot in Amasiri-Edda, Ebonyi State, bringing the total number of army depots to three. According to him, the depots in Zaria, Kaduna State; Osogbo, Osun State; and Amasiri-Edda, Ebonyi State, are expected to recruit and train 28,000 young Nigerians.
“I recently directed the recruitment of 28,000 young Nigerians to enhance manpower for our various operations across the country.
“So far, the Zaria depot has graduated 6,000 soldiers, Osogbo has graduated 5,000, while Amasiri-Edda will soon graduate 3,000, bringing the total to 14,000,” he said.
Shaibu added that the Army had reviewed its training curriculum to place greater emphasis on marksmanship, counter-insurgency, and counter-terrorism operations.
