The Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, has advised Nigerians to cooperate with the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in the country by giving valid information to ensure safety.
Yahaya made the call at the opening of a medical outreach in Mpape, FCT, as part of activities to commemorate the 2021 Nigerian Army Day celebration (NADCEL) on Monday.
The COAS urged members of the local communities to participate in the fight against insecurity, saying that the criminals live within the communities.
He said that the Nigerian army and other security agencies were created to serve and protect Nigerians and defend the territorial integrity of the country.
According to him, in addition to the constitutional role of the army, it also finds time to carry out corporate social responsibility at intervals and this is one of them.
He noted that army also conducted quick interventions programmes to aid civil authority in areas such as schools, hospitals and water provisions and roads, among others to our communities.
“What the community can do every time is to give the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and all security agencies across board the relevant information that could lead us to squarely addressing these security challenges that are bedeviling us.
“The criminals leave within us, sometimes we know them, those who are involved in kidnapping, cattle rustling and robbery.
“I urge you to continue to support us and other security agencies because we work together so that we can bring peace and security all across Nigeria to enable us all to go about our normal businesses without hindrance.
“Be law abiding and report criminals around so that those saddled with the responsibility can do it,” he said.
Yahaya said that NADCEL medical outreaches and other quick impact projects were carried out annually by the Army across the country targeting less-privileged in the host communities.
He said that Mpape was selected because of the population and the army’s assessment of the need of the people around to complement the efforts and other agencies in providing the services.
He urged the residents to take advantage of the free medical outreach to attend to their health needs.
Earlier,the Acting Commander Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Col Idris Solebo said the outreach was aimed at providing free medical services to more than 1,000 persons in the community.
Solebo said that the services would cover cancer screening, blood pressure checks, donation of bed nets, wheelchairs and others.
The district head of Mpape, Abubakar Gimba, thanked the COAS and the team for offering such medical care to his people.
He said that the gesture had contradicted the earlier belief that soldiers were meant for brutality and war situations.
Gimba urged his subjects to take advantage of the free medical service and get themselves treated.
The medical outreach being conducted by the Nigerian Army Medical Corps is to be carried out across army units and formations simultaneously nationwide.(NAN)
