By Hassan Ibrahim
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has charged graduating recruits under the Restore Hope Initiative to confront bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements threatening Nigeria’s peace and security with professionalism and discipline.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Restore Hope Programme for the 90 Regular Recruit Intake at the Depot Nigerian Army Shooting Range in Tohu Village, Zaria,the Army Chief said the country is currently facing complex security challenges requiring courage, intelligence and strategic thinking.
Lieutenant General Shaibu noted that criminal elements masquerading as bandits and kidnappers have continued to inflict hardship on citizens through abductions and the destruction of lives and property, stressing that conventional responses alone are no longer sufficient to address evolving threats.
“The security challenges confronting Nigeria today are complex, uncertain and ambiguous. Terrorism, banditry and other asymmetric threats demand not only courage, but also intelligence, discipline and strategic thinking. The era of relying solely on conventional responses to unconventional threats is behind us,” he said.
He urged the recruits, who are expected to be formally inducted into military service in two days, to remain resolute and uncompromising in dealing with criminal elements while operating within the Rules of Engagement and the highest standards of military ethics.
The COAS congratulated the graduating recruits for successfully completing the rigorous and modern military training, assuring them that the Nigerian Army has acquired modern combat enablers and is pursuing additional capabilities to enhance operational effectiveness and make soldiering more efficient and safer.
He explained that the Restore Hope Initiative is a specialised programme aimed at instilling professionalism, discipline, resilience and unwavering loyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, while preparing recruits to effectively respond to the country's evolving security challenges.
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