By Leonard Okachie
The Nigerian Army has said that it needs the collaboration of other stakeholders in the South-East to end the sit-at-home order in the zone.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, said this on Wednesday during an interactive session with newsmen at the 14 Brigade Headquarters, Ohafia.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had since August 2021 declared a sit-at-home order every Monday in the zone.
The order was allegedly part of its strategies to force the Federal Government to release its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The group later dissociated itself from the order but the Simon Ekpa-led IPOB faction has continued to enforce it, leading to wanton destruction of lives and property and crippling the economy of the zone.
However, the Army chief said that the military was already addressing the order but would need to move quickly forward.
According to him, we need the understanding of other stakeholders – the market groups, the youth groups and government at every level – in order to achieve result.
“For combating asymmetric threat there must be several lines of efforts and the military is just one line of effort.
“The impact of military line of effort in addressing asymmetric threat is limited.
“So, we need other supporting lines of efforts – developmental initiatives, dialogue and the like.
“We need other stakeholders to come on board to completely address this threat and we are talking with them.”
Lagbaja said that the security situation in the zone had improved since he came on board as the Chief of Army Staff in June 2023.
He lauded the troops for their efforts in the zone, saying that “the spate of attacks on government installations and facilities has reduced drastically”.
He, however, said that the troops still had some improvements to make in order to completely exterminate the order.
“The issue of kidnapping is being addressed and the camps of the insurgents and the dissident groups are being destroyed all over the place,” he said.
The COAS said that he was on a familiarisation visit to the brigade, to access the operations being conducted by the troops, the state of infrastructure and other support facilities in the barracks.
He also said that the intention was to make some interventions from the Army headquartres.
Earlier, while addressing the officers and solders of the brigade, Lagbaja said that he appreciated their living conditions and assured them that the Army would address their challenges as soon as funds were made available.
NAN reports that the Army chief later undertook a facility tour of the barracks and also inaugurated the renovated Brigade Commander’s residence. (NAN)
