The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Yusufu Buratai, said on Sunday in Lagos that the super camp concept adopted to tackle activities of insurgents and other criminal activities in the country has being yielded the desired results.
Buratai stated this in an interview with newsmen during an operational visit to Tarkwa Bay super camp in Lagos Island.
He said that the troops now have a better understanding of using super camp approach to tackle the myriad of security challenges confronting the country.
Buratai said the decision to adopt the approach was based on the threat analysis and evaluation of the challenges that the troops had encountered in operating along the conventional approach.
“Luckily, we are achieving a lot and as you can see, with the renewed zeal of our officers and men and the successes been achieved not only in the north east but across the country.
“These exercises Crocodile Smile, Ayem Akpatuma and Atilogwu Udo, are being operated along this concept of super camp.
“We are happy that the results that are coming out are quite encouraging and we will continue to develop on this concept.
“But the greatest result that we are receiving is in the north east,” he said.
According to Buratai, the concept has completely changed the troops’ mode of operation, increased their confidence and has given them the ability to project and reach up to the terrorists’ hideouts.
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“It has given more confidence to the people there because people are getting more confident and it is quite encouraging”, he added.
Lt. Gen Buratai said the army would continue with the concept, develop it further to make it more formidable, stronger and explore all its advantages.
He pledged to expand it further for the benefit of its operations and the synergy with other security agencies and the sister services.
According to him, “the Nigerian army has been able to enhance civil military cooperation through the various exercises being undertaken across the country.
He said that exercise Crocodile Smile (IV) and other exercises like Ayem Akpatuma, Atilogwu Udo among others, emphasised activities like medical outreach, educational support to schools and community services.
“This will improve the relationship between the army and the public for them to give us maximum support, cooperation and maximum information that we will require to develop into intelligence.
“The assessment of this exercise Crocodile Smile (IV) is quite encouraging.
“It is an improvement to the previous ones from the outreach, the comments by the people and the impact on the troops both in Lagos and Ogun States”.
The COAS visited the Troops Operation room, Information Centre and the historic Tarkwa Bay World War 11 Bunkers as well as the community clinic were troops had engaged in medical outreach.
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