The Nigerian Army disclosed that on Monday it would commence 3 military exercises to tackle all forms of criminality nationwide. The exercises have been code-named Golden Dawn, Still Water and Enduring Peace.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya is scheduled to flag off the 3 exercises in Enugu State on Monday.
This was made known on Sunday by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General, Onyema Nwachukwu in a statement titled, “COAS Flags-Off Exercises Golden Dawn, Enduring Peace and Still Water nationwide.”
The statement reads in part, “For all intents and purposes, it should be noted that these Field Training Exercises (FTEs) are routines conducted yearly by the Nigerian Army (NA), designed to effectively check all forms of criminality and allow for free movement of persons during the Yuletide. Additionally, the FTEs will equally provide a platform to sharpen the skills of participating troops on the conduct of Internal Security Operations.
“The exercises will run concurrently in 2, 6, 81 and 82 Divisions Areas of Responsibilities (AOR) in the South-West, South-South and South-East regions respectively. It will also be conducted in Headquarters Command Army Records, 401 Special Forces Brigade and Guards Brigade Areas of Responsibilities (AOR) in the North Central States of Kogi, Benue and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) respectively.”
Members of the public were urged not to panic due to the mass movement of troops and equipment.
“Expectedly, troops will be taken through operational rigours to effectively respond to security challenges, ranging from kidnapping, banditry, thuggery, brigandage, armed robbery, cultism, communal crisis, violent secessionist agitations, farmers-herders clashes and insurgency, among other sundry crimes”, the statement further reads.