Tinubu, represented by Alhaji Mohammed Badaru, the Minister of Defence, said this at the 2024 Nigerian Army Day Celebrations on Saturday in Jos.
The president expressed his administration’s readiness to provide the needed support to the military and other security agencies toward safeguarding the nation.
Tinubu, who commended the army for its role in stemming the tide of insecurity in the country, described it as a critical element toward nation-building
”Over the years, the Nigerian army has played a critical role in the security and unity of Nigeria; it remains a critical element toward nation building.
”With the increasing security challenges in the last one and a half year, the Nigerian army is playing a key role toward the protection of lives and property.
”With the display of equipment and physical fitness of personnel I have seen today, I’m convinced that the Nigerian Army is ready to protect our territorial integrity.
”We are committed to providing all that is needed to enable the Nigerian army to play its role professionally and effectively,” he said.
Earlier, Lt;.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of the Army (COAS), thanked the President for the confidence and support for the army in its bid to tackle all forms of insecurity in the country.
Lagbaja, who said that the army had demonstrated deep commitment toward addressing insecurity in the country, noted that its troops had achieved significant progress in the fight against insurgency and other forms of security challenges.
”The Nigerian army remains committed to its mission statement, which is ‘To Win all Land Battles in Defence of the Territorial Integrity of Nigeria, Protect Her National Interests and Accomplish other Tasks in Aid of Civil Authority.’
”The fulfilment of this responsibility sometimes demands that we make the ultimate sacrifice; to this end, we are continuously engaged in preparing ourselves for this onerous duty by honing our skills and competencies for this task.
”The Nigerian army under my watch is committed to improving our operational effectiveness to meet the ever-changing violent and complex threats to the nation.
”The army has also expanded and deepened its training activities for operational effectiveness. These measures have enabled us to successfully contain the activities of bandits in the North-West while the heinous crimes of Boko Haram terrorists have been brought to an all-time low.
”The incidences of farmers-herders conflict in the North-Central has equally been curtailed, and we have gained the upper hand against the criminal groups in the South East, South West as well as the South-South Zones,” he said.
Lagbaja added that the army had adopted measures toward the total elimination of all threats to the nation and the people within the shortest practicable time.
He explained that the army had executed some projects across communities in Plateau aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the civil populace toward the success of its operations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Kefas Agbu of Taraba, former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, serving and retired senior military officers, among other top government functionaries, attended the event.