Chief of army staff (COAS), Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, has said the armed forces were aware of the continued contributions of the frontline troops towards ensuring the defeat of adversarial elements troubling the country.
At Eid-el-Fitr launch at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri on Wednesday, Lagbaja said the aim of organising the Sallah celebration for the frontline troops was to boost their morale against terrorism in the country.
Lagbaja who was represented by the theatre commander of “Operation Hadin Kai” in the North East, Maj-Gen. Waidi Shuaibu, said,” Your commitment and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, banditry, oil theft, illegal mining, and other forms of criminalities challenging our existence as a Nation have not gone unnoticed by the government and the people of Nigeria.
“You all will bear me witness that the government of the day has, within available means, kept faith with its promise to make the welfare of members of the Armed Forces and our families of uttermost importance. The only way to reciprocate this is by redoubling our efforts at creating the right environment for peace and economic prosperity for our people and country,” he said.
He urged the troops to continue to work with other security agencies in implementing strategic policies of the government through successful operational activities and effective tactical actions.
He said the Nigerian Army will continue to prioritise the welfare of the troops by maintaining the sanction and reward system which characterize the sound administration pillar of his philosophical command which is “transforming the Nigerian Army into a well-trained, equipped and highly motivated force towards achieving the constitutional responsibilities within a joint environment”.
The COAS also congratulated the Muslim faithful for concluding the 2024 Ramadan fast successfully and felicitated the officers, soldiers, and civilian staff of the Nigerian Army and family members on the occasion of Eid-El-Fitr.
In his remark, the acting general officer commanding (GOC) 7 Div, Brig-Gen. Abubakar Haruna, urged Muslims to pray for the frontline troops as they celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr.
“We need prayers in our fight against insurgency, I therefore urge you to pray for our gallant troops who sacrifice their comfort to provide peace and security to the nation,” he said.