Army to end isolated killings, kidnappings, banditry in Plateau

Daniel Dauda, Jos

The General Officer Commanding 3 Division, Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) Jos, Major Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, has vowed to end isolated killings kidnapping, banditry, cattle rustling, land grabbing, and other social vices within its areas of operation.

Major Gen.Abubakar, Special Task Force (STF) Commander, in charged of peace and security on the Plateau and some parts of Bauchi and Kaduna States challenged personnel to be disciplined, loyal and vigilant in the course of discharging their constitutional mandate.

He made the assertion at the STF headquarters Jos during the 2024 Eid-el-Fitr sallah lunch for men and officers of Operation SAFE HAVEN.

“Your professionalism, courage, and determination to achieve our mandates, especially on the plateau, is worthy of note and highly appreciated.

“While I acknowledge and applaud your efforts, I urge you not to rest on your oars, but to remain focused in your task to consolidate the gains of all our recent achievements, we must intensify our efforts to completely eradicate all acts of isolated killings, kidnapping, farmers hurdles, clashes, cattle rustling, as well as cattle poisoning, farm destruction and ethno religious crisis, among all other forms of security  threats within our joint operations area.

He assured that the personnel welfare remains his topmost priority.

“I want to reassure you once again that headquarters, Operations SAFE HAVEN, as well as both the army headquarters and the Defense headquarters, will do all that is necessary to provide you with the requisite leadership, welfare, and logistics to motivate you for effective and successful conduct of our operations.

The GOC encouraged personnel to always remember their gallant departed colleagues who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the course of discharging their duties.

“Specifically, last month alone, three of our colleagues were gruesomely murdered, two officers and one police inspector, while discharging their constitutional mandates between Mangu and Barkin-Ladi  local government areas.

“I have sworn not to rest until all those responsible are brought to justice.And thankfully, we have recovered their weapons and already arrested most of the perpetrators that are responsible.

“Like I always say, you can only run, you cannot hide and we will get you.We must all collectively ensure that the sacrifices of our departed colleagues will never be in vain.

“I charge you all to remain disciplined, loyal, vigilant, and professional in the conduct of our operations going forward,” he maintained.