From Usman Sani
Synergy amongst military and other law enforcement agencies has been identified as a critical factor in defeating security threats.
Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor stated this while declaring open, Exercise Haske biyu for senior course forty-three, held at the Armed forces Command and Staff College Jaji, Kaduna.
Represented by Major General Henry Ayamasowei, the Defence Chief explained that the exercise could not have come at a more auspicious period when the country was faced with myriad of security challenges.
He maintained that the objective of Exercise Haske biyu was to broaden individual and collective knowledge and understanding of military operations other than war, with emphasis on internal security and counter-insurgency operations.
General Lucky Irabor noted that in view of the dynamics of global security environment and the current national security realities, intelligence and security agencies as well as other stakeholders had found themselves deployed regularly on internal security operations.
According to the Defence Chief, such deployments require them to carryout an array of operations which involve kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to counter threats posed by predominantly irregular groups.
General Irabor added that the Exercise was a platform for cross-fertilization of ideas, allowing stakeholders in national security architecture to synergize for development of sustainable conflict resolution and conflict management mechanisms.
Earlier, Commandant of the College, Air Vice Marshal Ebenezer Alade explained that this year’s edition would focus on the North West region where banditry, cattle rustling and kidnappings have become common place.
He pointed out that participants would also be required to provide practical and workable solutions to problems associated with internal security and counter-insurgency.
The three weeks exercise has participants drawn from the Army, Navy, Airforce, Police, paramilitary agencies and the media.