…AS EXERCISE STILL WATERS III KICKS OFF
By Okosun Dennis
Bandits, kidnappers, and other organised criminals are in for a hellish moment as troops of the Nigerian Army and other sister forces are poised to make their lives miserable and frustrate their adventures unless they repent and renounce their insipid acts.
Flagging off the yearly operation: “EXERCISE STILL WATERS III” at the Forward Operations Base (FOB), Ibafo, Ogun State on Tuesday, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Nigerian Army, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja charged the troops to chase out all the bandits, kidnappers and terrorists from their hiding places, and get them out and restore peace and comfort to all the communities.
To achieve maximum effects across the country, he disclosed that the Nigerian Army is simultaneously conducting two other exercises to create a conducive environment for socio-economic activities; especially in the last quarter of the year. Other exercises they are embarking on are: Exercise ENDURING PEACE III covering North-Central States of Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Federal Capital Territory, and Exercise GOLDEN DAWN II in the South East zone.
To achieve these, combined troops of the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Airforce with men of the Nigerian Police, Immigration, Customs, Civil Defence, Federal Road Safety Commission, and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency are participating in the operation that would dovetail into real-time operations.
As a result, Gen Lagbaja admonished them to be guarded by the rules of engagement; shun illegal duties during the period of the exercise and after, and be good Ambassador of the Nigerian Army so that when the history of the exercise is written, there will be no opprobrium.
Exercise STILL WATERS III, which began on Tuesday, 10th October 2023 in the 81 Division Area of Responsibilities is one of the Nigerian Army’s major NODUF exercises designed to ensure safe end-of-year activities and will end on 5th January 2024.
Buttressing the essence of the exercise, he emphasized that “It is not a drill or mere training exercise but a real-life military activity with a robust Rule of Engagement (ROE) that has been designed to meet the challenges of the contemporary security environment in the South-South and South-West zones.
“The South-South and South-West zones of Nigeria are confronted with piracy, illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism, cultism, militancy, and other related crimes that threaten our collective peace and economic activities.
Adding that these threats to our national security have assumed a dangerous dimension, warranting prolonged military deployments in aid of civil authority to restore law and order, averred that “unfortunately, the episodic military deployment in aid of civil authority has become unending, with almost every community requesting permanent military deployments to secure lives and properties.”
As part of their strategy to manage the spike in criminal activities, and stem the increasing demand for troops, the Nigerian Army has continued to modify its concepts of operations to be conducted in the last quarter annually, in support of the civil authorities.
The Army Chief, therefore, charged Commanders to conform with the operational design by ensuring that the kinetic line of operations to decimate criminals in their Areas of Responsibility is suitably complemented by a carefully designed non-kinetic line of operation in the form of Civil-Military Cooperation activities that aims to win the hearts and minds of the civilian population in their areas.
Earlier, in his remarks, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General MT Usman explained that Exercise STILL WATERS III would significantly lead to the flushing out of criminal elements within the nooks and crannies of the division’s Area of Responsibility from their hideouts to give the populace deserved peace and tranquility required for social and economic development.
The COAS was later conducted around the FOB. While giving the troops moral boosters, assured them that their welfare would not be compromised as the force would continuously pay a high premium on their welfare.
Before the flag-off, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja had earlier paid a courtesy visit to the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu 1 at his palace in Lagos Island, where he assured the traditional ruler of unflinching support of the Nigerian Army to combat the nuisance value of criminals.
Present at the flagging off were several military officers and the Chairman of Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, Hon Ogunsola Adesina Lanre and other invited Guests.
