Army to tackle Boko Haram with dog squads

 

Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika in Kaduna on Tuesday said  the Army would  train a special squad in the art of using dogs to fight Boko Haram.

The COAS urged soldiers combating the group in the North to be alive to their duties.

He added that the Army would inaugurate 14 speed boats to be used in checking militancy in Niger Delta.

Ihejirika spoke at a workshop at the One Division of the Nigerian Army in Kaduna.

He said, “I’m glad to inform you that our second batch of our trainees on the use of dogs in the fight against terrorism have just completed their training and will soon be launched to join you to further make your work easier.”

He said the target was to stop terrorism in the country.

Ihejiraka   said all soldiers must be combat ready at all times,  saying that a situation where Boko Haram  would engage troops at checkpoints without much resistance was unacceptable.

The army chief, stressed the need for Commanding Officers to be innovative in tackling the worsening state of insecurity in the country.

He, however, commended the troops the One Division of the Nigerian Army for their efforts so far in ensuring the security of lives and property in the North.

He said, “Let me therefore commend your efforts so far  as the North-West and North-East zones of the country are beginning to see some respite from terrorist activities. But nearly is not good enough as we must ensure that the citizens are more secured and safe and living peacefully in locations of their choice. So, there is a lot of room for us to train harder and harder to improve on our performance.”

The COAS noted that  the choice of the division for the workshop was to underscore the importance of the current operation of the division and that of the 3rd Division in tackling the  security challenges in Kano and other parts of the North.

Ihejirika said, “It is high time for you and your men to be in war mood to be able to deal with the current challenges. Otherwise, how do you explain that troops at checkpoint duty would be attacked by these decadence? And they sometimes do that and get away with it. This is an area you must work on.

“As you are out in the field at every point in time, make sure you are either conducting an operation or you are gathering intelligence. You must be doing any of the two at any point in time. If your area is too quiet, you have a reason to get worried.”

“We believe that how your troops perform is a direct reflection of the qualities of their Commanding Officers. That is why you are assembled here for the next four days to brainstorm on matters of service interest in order to improve and sharpen your professional skills.”

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