By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has directed graduating recruits of the Nigerian Army to decisively confront bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements threatening the nation’s peace and security.

Shaibu gave the charge on Thursday during the graduation ceremony of the Restore Hope Programme for the 90 Regular Recruit Intake at the Depot Nigerian Army Shooting Range in Zaria, Kaduna State,   according to a statement issued by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele.

The Army Chief said Nigeria was passing through a critical period marked by terrorism, banditry and other forms of criminality, stressing that soldiers must be prepared to tackle emerging security threats with professionalism, discipline and intelligence.

“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.

According to him, criminal elements operating as bandits and kidnappers have continued to inflict hardship on Nigerians through abductions and the destruction of lives and property.

He urged the recruits, who are due for induction 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.

Shaibu congratulated the recruits on the successful completion of what he described as modern and rigorous military training, designed to prepare them for contemporary security challenges.

He assured them that the Nigerian Army had acquired modern combat enablers and was pursuing the procurement of additional capabilities to enhance operational effectiveness and make military operations safer and more efficient.

The COAS explained that the Restore Hope initiative was designed to instill professionalism, discipline, resilience and loyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, while equipping recruits with the skills required to respond effectively to the country’s evolving security challenges.

The graduation ceremony marked the completion of the specialised programme ahead of the recruits’ formal induction into the Nigerian Army.