The Chief of Army State, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, says that the troops of the Nigerian Army deserve some commendation in the fight against insecurity despite the challenges they have faced.
Speaking on Channels Television’s May 29 special programme to score key areas of President Bola Tinubu’s administration after one year in office, Lagbaja said security has improved in the last one year.
“Looking back at where we were years ago and the threats that confronts us as a nation, I will say that the troops in the field and even the staff in the headquarters deserve the highest commendations for working in a very difficult environment and delivering results despite the challenges,” Lagbaja said.
The Chief of Army Staff also denied the allegation that the Nigerian military is complicit in the fight against insecurity.
The military have been repeatedly been accused of siding with aggressors by locals and sometimes prominent personalities in communities where troops have been deployed to fight insurgents and restore peace and order, but the army chief denied the allegation.
He said that the Nigerian Army does not go about asking people of their religious and ethnic affiliations while carrying out their duty and therefore the allegation of complicity cannot be true.
“The truth is that if there is security infraction in Borno State it is not everybody in Borno State that is an enemy of the state. So, the army does not go about asking people what is there religion, which ethnic group they belong to in carrying out their duty, we do it professionally.
“If they are not seen as combatants carrying arms openly, engaging the military in combat then we treat them as law abiding citizens because that is what they presented themselves to be,” he said.
General Lagbaja rated the military performance in tackling insecurity in the North-East, North-West and South-East high, saying the relative peace has returned to the North-East which used to hotbed of terrorism.
