The Theatre Commander Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Abba Dikko has called for the conduct of thorough needs assessment to enhance the quality of intervention and assistance provided for Internally Displaced Persons and other victims of war in North Eastern Nigeria.
The Theatre Commander made this assertion on Monday, when speaking during a visit of the British Deputy High Commissioner, Harriett Thomson, to the Headquarters Theatre Command, Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri.
General Dikko pointed out that though humanitarian activities are currently being conducted by several international agencies in the North East, the socio-cultural and belief system of the people of the North East should be factored into the planning of both local and international intervention and assistant programmes to meet the realities on ground.
He noted that this will to a large extent enhance the stabilization of the North East and facilitate the speedy recovery of socio – economic development and resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons in their respective communities.
While pointing out that the insurgents’ intermittent disruptive tendencies are deliberate attempts to slow down developmental activities in the North East, the Theatre Commander called on all communities to exhibit resilience and pick up their bits to resume their normal life.
He added that community resilience and resumption of socio -economic life are key to the ongoing Counter terrorism and Counter insurgency operations as measures of defeat of Boko Haram insurgents.
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Assuring that Operation Lafiya Dole will continue to provide the enabling environment for humanitarian activities and socio – economic development, Gen Dikko expressed appreciation for the support provided by the British Support and Liaison Team to troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in the Counter terrorism and Counter insurgency operations in the North East.
The British Deputy High Commissioner conveyed the willingness and desire of the British Government to sustain the support for troops in the North East theater of operation.
Army explains shootings by troops at Maiduguri Airport
Meanwhile, the Army on Monday confirmed the protests and indiscriminate shootings at Maiduguri International Airport by some soldiers deployed to Marte Local Government Area of Borno State to fight Boko Haram terrorists.
The aggrieved soldiers had kicked against the deployment, wanting to know why they were not sent back to their families after over three years in Borno State.
Marte is about 120 kilometres from Maiduguri that shares border with Chad Republic and is one of the areas under Boko Haram’s control.
A statement by the Deputy Director, Public Relations, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, said: “The Theater Command on Sunday night witnessed a riotous reaction from a few unscrupulous troops, while conducting a redeployment of troops who are currently deployed at the Maiduguri Airport, following a directive to review troops’ deployment in Maiduguri metropolis in a bid to reinvigorate the security architecture of the city.
“The redeployment became expedient after a recent assessment of the security situation by the Theater Command. Regrettably however, a few of the troops who had misunderstood the development and erroneously assumed it was going to negatively affect their rotation from the theater of operation, became agitated and reacted by firing into the air.
“Calm has been restored, as the Theatre Commander, Major General Abba Dikko, has taken charge of the situation after admonishing the troops.”
Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu
Deputy Director Public Relations
Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole
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