Insecurity: Nigerian Army To Deploy More Troops To Benue
By Matthew Atungwu
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has said that the Nigerian Army (NA) would increase troops’ deployment in Benue State in the few months that wrap up 2023.
The Director of Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen Onyema Nwachukwu disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to the military chief, this is to curb the illicit activities of bandits, armed herders, and other militia groups in the state.
Lagbaja gave the assurance while responding to a call by Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State to establish an additional battalion and forward operations bases in the state during Alia’s visit to the Army Headquarters in Abuja.
The COAS, who disclosed that the army was reviewing the activities and threat disposition in Benue, stated that the intervention was necessary due to the recalcitrant herders and farmers, who incessantly attack each other and vulnerable communities in Benue and neighboring states.
He also called on the government and people of the state to support the army’s non-kinetic operations and complement it to bring lasting peace and stability to the state.
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Lagbaja expressed appreciation to the government for its support and interventions in army formations and units deployed in the state. He assured that combat enablers would be provided to enhance the capacity of the formation and units deployed in and around the state for effective operations.
Governor Alia earlier advocated for the establishment of additional Forward Operations Bases (FOB) in the state to curtail security challenges orchestrated by bandits and armed herders.
The governor noted that lives and property were being lost, especially in the hinterland through the atrocious activities of bandits, herders, and other armed groups.
He identified Benue as a state that is prone to security challenges, as a result of its borders with contiguous states and the discovery of solid minerals in some of its local government areas.
He, therefore, called for proactive steps to ensure peace and security in trouble-prone areas.
