[size=14pt]Army Deploys 17,000 Soldiers for Internal Security[/size]
From Senator Iroegbu in Abuja , 12.14.2010

Fct

The Nigerian Army (NA) in response to the recent directive by President Goodluck Jonathan for restoration of total Security control across the country by mid-2011, has deployed 17,000 officers and soldiers for internal security operations in the South-East, Niger Delta, Plateau, Bauchi and Borno States to checkmates militancy, kidnapping and ethno-religious crises.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. O.A Ihejirika who announced this yesterday during an interactive session with defence correspondents in Abuja, said that all training exercise for the year had to be cancelled and the men deployed for internal security operations in crises prone part of the country.
Ihejirika disclosed that the operation in the South East against kidnapping has been extended to Akwa-Ibom and Imo States, where the kidnappers are now hiding in the hinterland states, while the Army has established a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Ikwuano-Umuahia, Abia state and other parts of Imo State.

Concerning the operation in Ayakoroma area of Niger Delta against the “criminals” in the creek, which has raised a lot of controversies and conflicting reports following alleged massive civilian casualties; the Army boss disclosed that eight soldiers and six civilians were killed during the cross fire.

He said that “President Goodluck Jonathan in his magnanimity has directed the NA to rebuild all the structures damaged during the encounter, while relief materials have been sent to alleviate the suffering of the people in the area”, and announced that Army Engineers have commenced work, assuring that “within the next one week, construction work will begin in earnest”.

On the Boko Haram issue, Ihejirika said that new strategy has been mapped out and that the Army is going to take stringent measures, to checkmate the incursion of Boko Haram.

Similarly, he threw more light on the killing of the kidnapping Kingpin in Abia State, Osisikankwu, explaining that the operation was a major prelude to comprehensive elimination of kidnapping in the South-East.

He disclosed that 12 children, between ages of 5 to 12 years, and a seven month old nursing mother, were rescued from the enclave of the Osisikankwu, and noted that he (Osisikankwu) was killed during cross-fire as his soldiers wanted to arrest him alive.

“Before then one of his henchmen had been captured who gave the soldiers the description of the hideout, and the earlier captured Osisikankwu boy had taken the soldiers to their Armoury, were RPGS, GPMGS, and assorted type of arms and ammunitions were recovered”, he said.

The Army boss, also disclosed that over 350 kidnappers have so far been captured by the soldiers, since operation “Jubilee” began, stressing that “kidnapping had become a lucrative business in the South-East involving all shades of characters, accomplices, numbering about 2,000”.

On the sale of arms in the Armoury in Jaji, the Army Chief announced that no part of the investigations and the court martial was covered as all those involved were jailed for life, while others got sentences ranging from five years and loss of seniority.

He debunked the online publication of the Sahara Reporters, indicting past Army Chiefs and their Director of Military Intelligence (DMIS)’s is malicious, unfounded, distractive and done in bad fate, and said that all past service chiefs and DMI did not aid the sale of arms, as they all took respective bold steps to get those involved and appropriate actions aid punishment meted out for them.

http://www.thisdayonline.info/nview.php?id=189932

Is this necessary, hae we gone back to millitary rule. Why do we do these things to ourselves, Wetin do police?

I wish i ever heard barrack Obama said the us marines should come take charge of louisiana during the trouble that erupted back then. the marines are ment for iraq, afghanistan, norht korea and waring communities. its in Nigeria you see all sort of things.
anythin goes in this country.
what has gone wrong with the police? are they tired of policing? what of the civil defence?
just a banana republic. God save us all.

In a country where we dont fight wars - what do expect the armies should be doing - atleast they would be able form another lane of extortion from motorists but one thing GEJ doesnt understand it is not the nature of military persons to be used as police officers - that is why you have Military police - it is does not work. An army man is trainned for wars and so on. Please someone tell me where the army is trained to quell riots, Investigate crime or aware of civil laws esp not in Nigeria. The army man only understands "shoot and go"

NLs, I am in total support of this deployment. Its nt enof 2 jus sit & condemn. Go to d east & see d unrest der! Police are toothless.

what happened to police? WHICH POLICE? the police are doin their job aswell, displayin dia talents, they were not trained for combat,thee were only trained for these/
know a newly imported cars,have ever tried cruising from lag to down east? try that and thats where u see NIGERIAN POLICE IN COMBAT WITH CAR DRIVERS,HOW DEM GO LEAVE THE 20 NAIRA PER VEHICLE JOB GO DEY DO A  DO OR DIE AFFAIR WITH THOSE ANGRY YOUTHS WITH PUMP AND AK47 WITH SOME , MM DING!! DEM NO FIT, SO WE DONT HAVE POLICE IN NIGERIA, LET DEM BRING EVEN AIRFORCE TO COMBAT CRIME EVEN IN MY VILLAGE DONT SEE NO PROB WITH FIGHTING CRIME WITH ANY MEANS

@ P.Stacks: When we sent the Police to curb crimes in these States they couldn't; we sent the Army and we can now see results. For me, it does not make sense to reinvent the wheel; if the Army is what is working for us then let the Government continue to deploy them until kidnapping is totally wiped out.

@ Sochan: You can talk like this because nobody has ever kidnapped your relative for a ransome. I come from the Niger Delta and I know how much I  have paid as ransome to kidnappers this year. it would even amaze you to know that the Police are possibly one of those perpetrating this evil act. For me, it does not make sense to reinvent the wheel; if the Army is what is working for us then let the Government continue to deploy them until kidnapping is totally wiped out.

ADOGBEYI:


I come from the Niger Delta and I know how much I  have paid as ransome to kidnappers this year.

White blatant lies,

ADOGBEYI:

@ P.Stacks: When we sent the Police to curb crimes in these States they couldn't; we sent the Army and we can now see results. For me, it does not make sense to reinvent the wheel; if the Army is what is working for us then let the Government continue to deploy them until kidnapping is totally wiped out.

@ Sochan: You can talk like this because nobody has ever kidnapped your relative for a ransome. I come from the Niger Delta and I know how much I have paid as ransome to kidnappers this year. it would even amaze you to know that the Police are possibly one of those perpetrating this evil act. For me, it does not make sense to reinvent the wheel; if the Army is what is working for us then let the Government continue to deploy them until kidnapping is totally wiped out.

Aga ju onye? please save us your dustbin

Finally GEJ is showing he is no walk over. Nice move GEJ. Please stamp your authority on these assholes from hell. Anyone that carries AK47's, grenades etc. are no longer petty criminals they have become internal enemy combatants and should be treated as threatening the internal security of the nation. Please flush them out wherever they are. Besides it will also be a good excuse to deal with this Boko Haram menace once and for all. I'm seeing a peaceful election after all.

I think it will also be a good idea if they take over Aso rock too. . .

Cosmetic surgery. I hope they don t become instruments of oppression during the election.

P.Stacks:

I wish i ever heard barrack Obama said the us marines should come take charge of louisiana during the trouble that erupted back then. the marines are ment for iraq, afghanistan, norht korea and waring communities. its in Nigeria you see all sort of things.
anythin goes in this country.
what has gone wrong with the police? are they tired of policing? what of the civil defence?
just a banana republic. God save us all.

What are you talking about. Weren't the National guard deployed (with a shoot on sight order) against looters? Or did that happen in another galaxy?

What is the Nigerian Army going to do about the kidnappers in the National Assembly who have kidnapped our economy, and are gloating at us?

Dr. Goodluck might be planning to overthrow himself before the northerners overthrow him.

Or better still. Overthrow the governors and the senate(they are useless anyway) declare emergency on everybody and continue ruling by force

we shall overcome some day!

I hate it wen people criticise the govt on evry move they make. We ar all Nigerians n we all know dat policing in this country is vry difficult especially in crime prone areas. The police has proven time n time again dat they lack the capability 2 curb high crime wave. Our police can only solve petty crimes.

I c notin wrong wit bringing the military 2 aid security 4 d time being as long as they are controlled and they do there duty according 2 specifications.

We shud b criticising the govt 2 upgrade our police force 2 international standard so that they can fight crime not condemning the govt 4 asking d military 2 help out in security. If we have a good police force, who will b calling d military 2 help out in security?

Most of you here do not understand what security is all about. In america, u dont have criminals that go around with GPMG (General purpose machine guns), Grenades or dynamites, in Nigeria a militant without one is considered not to be serious in his criminal act. Have  u seen this Gun at work? when u eventually do u will know that its no childs play for the police to handle. Can a police stand when a grenade is thrown?.

Police are civilians like you that is why Mister is added to their names but trained to bring peace and order not to go into war with criminal who use grenades and GPMG.

Please its the job of the army so let them do their job. And for your information, the army has an intelligence unit far more equipped than that of the police. IBB was once a head in that unit.

naija we too complain, i have never seen a country like dis, every thing we must complain, some of u here condeming dose leaders will perform worst wen u get dere, mtcheeeeeeew

@ADOGBEYI,

How dare you come on here and accuse me of not knowing first hand what it means to be kidnapped. My own brother, uncle, aunt have been kidnapped and yes we paid hundreds of thousands of naira to secure thier release.

However that doesnt mean I must not comment on a stupid plan when I see one.

Nigeria is in turmoil today because the governement has not done what it should, and that is look after its people.

The Natives are restless. This problem is not going to go away until we tackle the root cause of unrest in Nigeria. what everyone should be praying is that we done start getting unlawful and unexplained killings synonimous with the millitary.

this act is damn foolish

gej is ones again proving to me that he is the best among the outstanding persons presenting as the one one citizen.
in the developed world when natural disasters occurs.the military are the ones that mainly goes to the aids of the people
and in this situation now in nigeria,we are talking about militants that uses war weapons and soldiers also perform internal securities
so this assignment has great credibility,

Nice development! Nigerian soldiers are more trustworthy than NPF. The government should dedicate more of its resources on internal security than on regional stability. CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME!

i believe the late osisikankwu was highly connected. pls don't quote me

raycomray:

i believe the late osisikankwu was highly connected. pls don't quote me

You are quoted. But I agree with you, we all know that the guy had powerful backers in Abia State. That is why he was killed, instead of being captured alive. The same thing happened to the leader of Boko Haram. We all know he had powerful backed in the North, but they couldn't let him live. It would have been too risky.

-Omenani

While some people are aggrieved on this exercise, we must realize that the security situation in Nigeria is just not ok. If it has to take a combination of the army and police to restore law and other, so be it.

Great. GEJ is one step ahead of Atikus threat of violence. We dey ready.

nice move.

This is what the country needs at this time. The level of indiscipline and lawlessness and criminality now requires 'strong hand' to quel therefore we need the army. I think that some of these army troops can be specially trained in the future for specific assignments like these involving dealing with civilian populace in which these criminals and hoodlums hide. they could be called SPECIAL CRISIS SQUAD but with full military traing mingled with dealing with civilians. So in cases of kidnaps, local crisis (communual) where weapons are involved, etc they could effectively serve the purpose. GEJ thumbs up for you. We are watching.

Police already incapacitated. Heard Ringim talking about the scrapping of Civil defence when he can not even guarantee the security of even the President.

We hope this helps solve the niger delta issues