The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division Nigerian Army (NA), Major General Obinna Onubogu, has described Kogi State as the frontier area of 2 Division Area of Responsibility (AOR). The Chief Tiger, made the statement during his familiarisation and operational visit to 12 Brigade NA, Lokoja, from 13 – 17 May 2024.
The Commander, 12 Brigade and Force Commander, Operation Accord III, Brigadier General Haruna Dasuki, received the GOC on arrival, at Odoape Town, few kilometers away from Lokoja metropolis and led him to the Brigade Headquarters (HQ), at Chari Maigumari Barracks, Lokoja, where he was acquainted with both Intelligence and general briefs of the Brigade HQ. Similarly, the GOC was also briefed at Operation Accord III Information Center and 126 Battalion, which is currently collocated with 12 Brigade HQ. The briefs, which mainly covered operations, administration and logistics matters, also highlighted banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, communal clashes, illegal mining, farmers/herders clashes amongst others, as some of the security threats prevalent within the Brigade’s AOR.
During his brief, Brigadier General Dasuki, also highlighted some of the Brigade’s achievements under his command. They include; construction of Commander’s Guest House, construction of perimeter fence, repair of unserviceable boreholes, renovation of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Okene and Oguma, rescue of several kidnap victims and reduction in kidnap incidents. Others are; security of critical national infrastructures, installation of street lights, repair of 40 seater bus and construction of metal observation posts amongst several others. He noted that inadequate accommodation, unsteady power supply and poorly equipped medical center, constitute some of the Brigade’s basic challenges.
Major General Onubogu, was also led on a guided tour of the Brigade HQ, during which he commissioned a newly renovated Senior None Commission Officers’ (SNCO) building and newly constructed conference room at 126 Battalion. He also inspected the ongoing renovation of accommodation block for single officers.
The GOC, in his remarks, commended Brigadier General Dasuki, for the efforts he is making to ensure the Brigade lives up to its expectations; while charging him to brace up and sustain the tempo in order to record more successes. “Having listened to the briefs from you and the Commanding Officer (CO) 126 Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel IM Hussain, and gone round the barracks, I am convinced that you are doing a good job. I must also commend your collaborative efforts with security agencies within your AOR, particularly during the rescue of kidnapped students of Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH) Okene, Kogi State. Congratulations and welldone! We must not relent; rather, we must continue to ensure that the criminals are denied freedom of action and rooted out from the state and 2 Division in general. There must be a concerted effort to reduce or stamp out completely, the incidences of kidnapping and other criminal activities from the state and the nation in general”, he said. He noted that Kogi is the frontier area of 2 Division; adding that it borders all other states within the Division’s AOR, hence its significance to criminals in executing their evil plans. “Kogi is a frontline state of 2 Division AOR; and so, you must redouble your efforts to prevent criminals in neighbouring states from using it (Kogi) as a link point for their nefarious activities within and outside the state”, he added.
Commenting on the challenges as highlighted by Brigadier General Dasuki, the GOC promised that the Division will expedite efforts within its capacity to assist the Brigade and its formations in their different areas of needs in order to boost their operational efficiency. He further promised to execute 2 new projects for the Brigade.
While addressing the troops, he commended them for the efforts they put in to curb insecurity, protect lives and property as well as secure national infrastructures. He conveyed the goodwill message of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to the troops, urging them to discharge their duties diligently and in line with the COAS’ command philosophy. “Whenever you are deployed, you must interact well and professionally with citizens of the communities where you are, as you strive to bring them together for the purpose of achieving lasting peace amongst themselves and throughout the nation at large.”
In subsequent days, the visit was extended to FOBs Oguma, Adogo and Okene respectively. At each of the FOBs, the GOC was adequately briefed by the respective Officers Commanding (OC). He also visited the highly contested *BAGANA MARKET* in Omala LGA of Kogi State, where he interacted with the Local Government Chairman, Mr Mark Noble amidst some few available locals. While briefing the GOC, Mr Noble, confirmed to him that ownership of the market and its proceeds, constitute the bone of contention which have resulted to the prolonged crisis and killings in the area. He said that, in a bid to achieve their selfish interests, the *OMAGELE* and *YANKPA* clans of Omala LGA, have resorted to hiring Fulani and Agatu militias from Nasarawa and Benue States respectively to fight for them. This he said, has unfortunately resulted to loss of several lives and destruction of tons of houses and other property. He solicited NA’s assistance through the GOC in order to profer immediate and lasting solution to the problem. The GOC further encouraged them to put aside their differences and give peace a chance. He assured them that the NA will provide the necessary assistance they may need to achieve the desired objective. “We will give you the required support and hope that within yourselves, you would find a lasting solution to the problem”, he said.
To further boost the synergy between NA and sister services, the GOC visited Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Lugard, Lokoja, kogi State. At the Ship, he interacted with the Commander, Commodore Moses Epelle on possible ways of improving the security along the water ways in order to deny militias and other criminals access to communities where they intend to cause havoc. Commodore Epelle, assured the GOC that plans are ongoing, to establish jetties along identified troubled areas, in order to deny criminals freedom of action along the water ways. He appreciated the GOC for finding time to visit the Ship, while assuring him that the already established synergy would be sustained in order to achieve the objective of maintaining peace and security in kogi State as well as in the entire nation.
The five days familiarisation and operational visit also featured presentation of souvenirs, group photographs and the symbolic tree planting at HQ 12 Brigade.
Peoplesmind
