By Tina George, Minna
In its bid to curb insecurity and banditry in Niger state, the Nigerian Army has launched Exercise AYEM AKPATUMA II.
The Exercise is targeted fleeing bandits who may seek refuge in the state and to prevent spillover effects of security situation due to common borders it shares with other states.
The Exercise was flagged off in Minna on Thursday by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Mechanised Division of Nigeria Army, Major General Faruk Yahaya.
According to him, the insecurity in Niger state is a spillover effect of fleeing criminals from some neighboring states.
“Many of the bandits fleeing the epicenter of these military operations seek sanctuary in the numerous forest reserves traversing the borders of Niger state with the neighboring states.
” The situation has led to an upsurge in banditry activities, kidnapping, cattle rustling, targeted assassinations and other vices in this hitherto peaceful environment.”
The GOC further stated that exercise AYEM AKPATUMA 11 is a joint and multi-agency exercise, which would comprise civil-military cooperation activities.
“The exercise will encompass civil-military cooperation activities as well as a field training exercise that will last until December 2019. Exercise AYEM AKPATUMA 11 will be conducted in line with the new Super Camp concept recently adopted in the Nigerian Army.
“In line with this concept, troops taking part in the exercise are concentrated in a Super Camp at Koton-koro from where they will project combat force to other Patrol/Forward Operating Bases in response to security threats across the entire state”, Yahaya said.
The Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Bello, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Matane, promised that the state government will extend all necessary support to the military in the ongoing efforts aimed at reducing insecurity in Niger state.
