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Tag: COAS

  • Army warns personnel against illegal arms deal

    Army warns personnel against illegal arms deal

    Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Ali, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division, Nigerian Army Rukuba, near Jos, has warned its personnel against involvement in illegal arms deals.
    Ali gave the warning at the opening of Arms and Ammunition Storeman Refresher Course 1/22 at Base Ordinance Depot of the cantonment.
    This was contained in a statement by Maj. Ishaku Takwa,  the Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations of the division in Jos.
    The GOC maintained that any personnel caught in the act would not be spared.
    ”Let me warn that the Nigerian Army will deal heavily with any personnel that is involved in any illegal arms and ammunition deal,” Ali warned.
    He stated that the scourge of insecurity in the country must be tackled through training and retraining of personnel to enable them effectively secure the lives and property of law-abiding citizens.
    He stated that the refresher course was organised in line with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) vision of having ”a professional Nigerian army ready to accomplish assigned duties within a joint environment in the defence of Nigeria”.
    The GOC, who emphasised the need for troops to seek knowledge for a better living, said the course would enable armourers and potential armourers to be versatile in the area of arms and ammunition management within the Nigerian Army in general and their units in particular.
    He urged the participants to justify the confidence reposed in them by their formations or units by giving their best and maximum attention during the training.
    Earlier, Brig.-Gen. S.A. Alamu, the Commander, Ordnance Services of the division, said the exercise was aimed at training the participants on both theoretical and practical roles and responsibilities of an armourer.
    Newsmen reports that 30 participants drawn from various units and formations within the division were inaugurated and the course would last till Oct. 4.
  • Capital injection of €10.7M will revolutionize Nigerian Army Drugs Manufacturing Company – COAS

    Capital injection of €10.7M will revolutionize Nigerian Army Drugs Manufacturing Company – COAS

    The Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, says the capital injection of €10.7M by UZ Carlson Pharmaceutical Limited will be a pharmaceutical revolution in the Nigerian Army Drugs Manufacturing Company (NADMC).

    Yahaya said this on the occasion of the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Joint establishment of a Pharmaceutical Drugs Manufacturing Plant which held on Wednesday at Epe, Lagos State.

    The joint establishment was between the Nigerian Army Welfare Limited by Guarantee (NAWLG) and UZ Carlson Pharmaceutical Limited to address the issues of shortage and adulterated drugs in NA medical centres.

    “This will hereby address the chronic problems of out-of-stock syndrome as well as the issue of fake drugs faced by personnel and their families in hospitals.

    “Failure to meet this need will affect a soldier’s morale and his willingness to fight, resulting in dwindling loyalty,” he said.

    The COAS said that the partnership would also address dependence on imports which would in turn boost internally generated revenue of the NA through public sales and exports to nearby countries.

    “This partnership is premised on the huge market and demand already established in the open market and even to some state governments across the country.

    “It is envisaged that the construction and operation of the new NADMC will create jobs for the teeming youths in the locality and contribute to economic well-being.

    “Thus, NAWLG should drive the partnership and work out modalities for smooth execution of the agreement,” Yahaya said.

    He said that the construction of the new Nigerian Army Drugs Manufacturing Company was in line with his aspiration to sustain better civil-military cooperation.

    “Their services will surely be extended to the civil populace in the locality.

    “We, therefore, urge members of the public to feel free to avail themselves of menial works toward the actualisation of the project,” the COAS said.

    Also speaking, the MD of UZ Carlson Pharmaceuticals Company, Mr Callistus Okafor, said that the joint venture would upscale production within the next five five years.

    Okafor pointed out that the pharmaceutical would ostensibly mitigate the challenges of fake drugs and produce high quality drugs of commercial value to promote local content.

  • Fake Army General bags 7 years imprisonment

    Fake Army General bags 7 years imprisonment

    Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos has convicted and sentenced  one Bolarinwa Abiodun,  a fake Army General to seven  years in prison.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Abiodun was sentenced to 7 years in prison on a 13-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, forgery of documents and possession of documents containing false pretence to the tune of N266,500,000.

    The offences are contrary to Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006; Section 363 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015 and Section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act No 14 of 2006, respectively.

    The defendant was prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    He posed as a General in the Nigerian Army and made false representations to the complainant, Kodef Clearing Resources, that the President , Muhammadu Buhari, had short-listed him and one other to be appointed as the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, and that he needed a short grant to “press and process the appointment.”

    Abiodun, who was arrested at his house in the Alagbado area of Lagos State on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, was also accused of forging a letter of appointment as COAS purportedly signed by the President and showed the same to the victim to further prove his claim.

  • Probe ex-COAS, Buratai over N1.8bn recovered in property – PDP tells Buhari

    Probe ex-COAS, Buratai over N1.8bn recovered in property – PDP tells Buhari

    The opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to recall the former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Ambassador to Benin Republic, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), to face investigations over an alleged connection with the N1.8 billion recovered in a property in Abuja.

    Reports emerged last week that the anti-graft agency had recovered N170 million cash, $220,965 and a G-Wagon car from the residence of Gen. Buratai.

    The Commission, however, through its spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, denied that the house belonged to Buratai, clarifying that the facts available indicated that the property is owned by owner of K Salam Construction Company, a military contractor.

    The PDP in a statement on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, insisted that the former Army boss should be investigated, saying that its demand is predicated on the earlier assertion by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Babagana Monguno, after the exit of Gen. Buratai as COAS that the $1bn drawn from the national coffers under the APC administration for the purchase of arms to fight terrorism in our country could not be traced.

    The main opposition party stated “That assertion by the NSA heightened suspicion on allegations of barefaced looting of money meant to equip our security forces. Such corruption under the APC administration has led to the upsurge in unhindered terrorism attacks, mass killing of citizens and loss of many of our gallant fighters in the front in the last seven years.

    “It is therefore of serious interest to Nigerians when reports that the ICPC discovered the sum of N1.8 billion in various currencies, expensive cars and jewelries secreted in a property in Abuja allegedly linked to the former COAS broke out.

    “There are already apprehensions that the discovered money is part of the security fund that was criminally diverted. This is especially against the backdrop of the frenzy and spirited efforts by certain quarters linked to the APC to suppress investigation and free flow of information, politicize the matter and sweep it under the carpet.

    “Nigerians will recall that our Party has on several occasions alerted that the looting of our treasury is officially sanctioned and enabled by the APC administration with its refusal to prosecute those who were alleged and found to have been involved in massive corruption.

    “It would also be recalled that the PDP drew attention to plans of the APC to create a slush fund account from monies fraudulently drawn from the national treasury to finance their plot to rig the 2023 general elections.

    “This is evidenced by the massive use of money by the APC to prosecute a vote buying scheme in the recent Ekiti State Governorship election. The prevalence of vote buying in that election by the APC was even acknowledged by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, which prompted the INEC Chairman to demand for speedy trial of those arrested for vote buying in the Ekiti State election.

    “The reports of massive looting by APC leaders and their cronies in government Ministries, Departments and Agencies further confirm the APC administration as a haven for treasury looters.

    “Moreover, the recently exposed looting of N80bn by the suspended Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, which investigation has now gone cold is suspected to have been engineered by the cabal at very high level of the APC administration.

    “The PDP, standing with Nigerians, insists that Gen. Buratai should return to the country and personally face investigation to clear his name.

    ”This is because any allegation bordering on looting of funds meant for the fight against terrorism is of grave national concern and consequence. It must be thoroughly investigated and anybody found wanting must be made to face the full weight of the law no matter how highly placed.”

    PDP wants Buratai probed over N1.8bn recovered in property

  • President Buhari meets with security chiefs over Abuja-Kaduna train attack

    President Buhari meets with security chiefs over Abuja-Kaduna train attack

    Following Monday night’s terrorist attacks on Abuja-Kaduna bound train by bandits, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, met behind closed door with security chiefs.

     

    The Abuja-Kaduna bound train was conveying about 970 passengers from Abuja to Kaduna at about 7.45 p.m. on the fateful day.

     

    The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Faruk Yahaya, had on Tuesday visited the scene of the attack, where he ordered troops to intensify search and rescue operations as well as hunt down the terrorists.

     

    Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, also visited hospitals in Kaduna on Tuesday where injured victims are being treated.

     

    Those at the meeting with the President include all service chiefs, Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba and Director-General of the State Security Services, Yusuf Bichi.

     

    The Kaduna-bound train, which left Abuja 6 p.m, on Monday, was attacked by suspected terrorists around 7.45 p.m., with just 15 minutes’ drive before arriving Kaduna.

     

    Kaduna State Commissioner for Home Affairs and Internal Security, Samuel Aruwan, on Tuesday, said the train had been secured by military personnel, and that government had evacuated passengers on board.

     

    He said staff of Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA) and Nigeria Red Cross, Kaduna chapter, conducted the evacuation.

  • COAS Yahaya warns army warns officers to stay-off politics

    COAS Yahaya warns army warns officers to stay-off politics

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, has sounded a note of warning to senior Army officers and field commanders to desist from playing partisan politics and work towards a violence -free 2023 general elections

    Yahaya gave the warning at the COAS conference held at Command Officers’ Mess, Asokoro, Abuja.

    He heaped praises on troops for their efforts so far on battle grounds. He also appreciated the cooperation and work ethics exhibited by Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Airforce and other security agencies saying that their co-operation is everlasting.

    “As we carry out our constitutional duties of maintaining peace and security, in aid of civil authority across the country, let me emphasise that we should all remain professional and glaringly apolitical. He said

    “We should also continue to uphold human rights principles in the conduct of our operations, in tandem with the Constitution and our Rules of Engagement. This is particularly important as the activities outlined in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s calendar gathers steam.”

    He added: “In line with our constitutional responsibilities, we will continue to provide favorable and secure environment for the conduct of the general elections through Operation Safe Conduct, in aid to civil authority.”

  • Reps urge COAS, IGP to investigate invasion of five communities in Imo

    Reps urge COAS, IGP to investigate invasion of five communities in Imo

    The House of Representatives has urged the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the invasion of five communities in Ahiazu Local Government Area of Imo by law enforcement agents.

    The house called for the unravelling of the perpetrators of the act, the reason for the invasion and the number of lives and property destroyed as well as the offenses committed by the communities.

    The resolution followed the adoption of an urgent motion of public importance by Rep. Emeka Chinedu (PDP-Imo) on the floor of the house on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The motion listed the five communities as Ihitteafoukwu, Umu Okirika, Oparanadim, Mpam, and Ogbor Umeze in Ahiazu LGA, which have been hitherto peaceful and quiet.

    He said that the invasion commenced in the early hours of Feb. 12, by armed men suspected to be law enforcement agents.

    Chinedu said that the action was contrary to the responsibility of law enforcement agencies “which is to maintain law and order and not embark on actions inimical to fundamental human rights of citizens.’’

    He decried that Nigerians were tired of the high-handedness, unethical conducts and total disregard for rule of law and engagements of law enforcement agents.

    He said though he believed in the fight against unlawful activities or any form of criminality, but it must be anchored on rule of law as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, especially when human lives and property were involved.

    He said there was inherent danger in one-sided narrative as often packaged by law enforcement agents in such circumstances without thorough investigation “ and this is unhealthy for democracy’’.

    He said that it was also an intolerable affront to fundamental human rights.

    The house queried why communities that were not at war must be razed without taking into consideration the adverse effects of rendering the innocent homeless and depriving their loved ones of their breadwinners.

  • COAS pays operational visit to Kano, inaugurates multiple projects

    COAS pays operational visit to Kano, inaugurates multiple projects

    The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, on Wednesday, paid an operational visit to 3 Brigade in Kano State in furtherance of his commitment to improving the security situation in the country.

    The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement, said that the COAS also inaugurated multiple projects in Janguza Barracks, Kano.

    Nwachukwu said the newly completed projects include: 72 units of Corporals and Below Quarters (CBQ), 30 units of Single Officers’ Quarters (SOQ) and five blocks of Company Offices and training shades.

    According to the statement, Yahaya also visited Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado-Bayero during the operational tour.

    While inaugurating the projects, the COAS said his visit was in tandem with his command philosophy, to enable him interact with troops and obtain first-hand information.

    The army chief said this would enhance his command and administration of the Nigerian Army.

    He said the dearth of personnel accommodation was receiving adequate and prompt attention with the construction of befitting accommodation across formations and units nationwide.

    Yahaya assured that the welfare of personnel was paramount to his command.

    During the visit to Gov. Ganduje, Yahaya expressed appreciation to the government and people of Kano state for their support to army formations and units in the state.

    He added that the Nigerian Army Battle Fitness Centre (NABFC) in Falgore had become a veritable training ground for troops and potential recruits.

    In his response, Ganduje commended the COAS for his sterling leadership qualities in the command and administration of the Nigerian Army.

    He pledged his continuous support and promised to ensure the commencement of phase II of the state government’s support to NABFC.

    Also, the Emir of Kano, Ado-Bayero called on all well-meaning Nigerians to throw their weight behind the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in tackling the security challenges bedevilling the nation.

    He stated that citizens engagement and support were crucial for operational success.

    The emir commended the army for the sacrifices and relentless efforts of its troops in the pursuit of peace and security in Kano and the nation in general.

  • COAS celebrates heroes, presents vehicles to veterans

    COAS celebrates heroes, presents vehicles to veterans

    The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, has presented a brand new Hilux Vehicle each to 14 living heroes of the Nigerian Army In commemoration of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration (AFRDC) 2022.
    The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, in Abuja.
    Nwachukwu said the vehicles were presented to the veterans for serving the nation when their services were mostly needed.
    He added that the presentation was also in honour and recognition of the sacrifices of both the fallen heroes and veterans who were still alive for their services to the Nigerian Army (NA), the nation and humanity.
    According to him, the presentation was done nationwide, across all formations of the Nigerian army to signpost the significance of the celebration.
    Nwachukwu said the Provost Marshal (PM), Army, Maj.-Gen. Robert Aiyenigba, presented one of the vehicles on behalf of the COAS to one of the beneficiaries on Saturday.
    He said that Aiyenigba symbolically presented the vehicle to the former Regimental Sergeant Major, Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police (NACMP), Ex Army Warrant Officer Akinyokun Felix, on the occasion of his retirement after 35 years of meritorious service to the nation.
    According to him, the PM stated that AFRDC provided an opportunity for retrospection and appreciation of the patriotism and sacrifices demonstrated by both veterans and fallen heroes.
    “He said it was in appreciation of their services that the COAS presents these vehicles to the retirees, saying the gesture was an affirmation of the high premium, the COAS places on welfare of personnel.
    The beneficiary, retired MWO Akinyokun thanked the COAS for finding them worthy of the award, describing it as a morale booster to them and those they left in service.
    “He added that they would continue to support the NA to succeed in her constitutional mandate, even in retirement,” he said.

  • Fake Army General who claimed Buhari nominated him as COAS, arrested

    Fake Army General who claimed Buhari nominated him as COAS, arrested

    Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have arrested one Bolarinwa Oluwasegun, a fake Army General, for an alleged N270 million fraud.

    Mr Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, said the suspect allegedly made false representations to the complainant, Kodef Clearing Resources.

    Uwujaren said the suspect informed the clearing company that President Muhammadu Buhari had shortlisted him and one other to be appointed as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), saying he needed a short grant “to press and process the appointment.”

    “He also allegedly forged a letter of appointment as COAS, purportedly signed by the President and showed the same to the victim to further prove his claim.

    “In the said letter, he claimed that he needed to pay a certain amount of money into the coffers of the Federal Government, as part of the requirements for the appointment as COAS.

    “Oluwasegun, in his bid to defraud the victim, also allegedly forged several documents and the signature of the President.

    “He was arrested at his house in the Alagbado area of Lagos State on Wednesday, January 12, 2022.

    “Upon his arrest, six pump action guns, three cartridge bullets, a swagger stick and several forged documents were recovered from him,” Uwujaren said.

    According to Uwujaren, the suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigations have been concluded.