Headlines
FG Plans Withdrawal of Military from All Regions Except South East
Sequel to the Federal Government’s declaration of withdrawal of the military from volatile areas of the country, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has said the Nigerian Air Force and other arms of the military will be withdrawing troops from some internal security operations because relative peace had been restored in some states and the activities of criminals had been curtailed.
The air chief noted that the military was going to “scale down its involvements” in some of the six ongoing internal security operations around the country. However, the air force chief was silent on military operations in the South-East.
Abubakar in his New Year message on Wednesday identified the operations as; Safe Haven and Whirl Stroke in the North-Central geopolitical zone, Awatse in the South-West, Hadarin Daji in the North-West, Operation Delta Safe in the South-South and Lafiya Dole in the North-East.
The air chief added the military efforts, particularly in tackling the banditry in the North-West, had paved the way for state governors to be able to hold dialogue with the criminals.
Abubakar said, “Due to the various efforts by us and other security agencies, relative peace has been restored to most parts of the North-Central states. Similarly, the activities of pipeline vandals and other criminals in the South-South and South-West have been curtailed.
“Accordingly, the gains have given rise to the directives for NAF and sister services to gradually scale down involvement in some of these operations. The operations in the North-West zone are also yielding fruits with a gradual reduction in banditry due to effective kinetic operations in early 2019.
“These kinetic operations paved the way for governors in the zone to engage the bandits in dialogue with a view to sustainably achieving peaceful resolution of the security challenges.
“Over the past few years, NAF, along with sister services, had been involved in a number of internal security operations across the country.
“It is gratifying to note that due to your various efforts as well as those of your colleagues in other security agencies, relative peace has been restored to most parts of the North-Central states. Similarly, the activities of pipeline vandals and other criminals in the South-South and the South-West have been curtailed.”
Abubakar urged the troops to re-double their efforts while sustaining the pressure on criminal elements and the Boko Haram terrorists.
“You must nevertheless remain professional in the discharge of your duties and ensure that the rights of all law-abiding citizens are protected to enable them to go about their lawful activities without encumbrances,” the air chief added.
It would be recalled that Operation Python Dance (Egwu Eke) which was introduced in the South East in 2016 to curtail the activities of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) had gone through three phases until it was changed to Operation Dance of Peace (Atilogwu Udo) in October 2019.
The army had said at inception that it was designed to, if necessary, dovetail into real time activities such as anti-kidnapping drills, patrols, raids, cordon and search, check points, road blocks and show of force.
The exercise includes the police, Civil Defence Corps, State Security Service and Federal Road Safety Commission. It is aimed at checking anticipated rising wave of crimes usually prevalent during festive periods.
Former governor of Anambra State, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has officially defected to the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Obi announced the decision on Tuesday at an event held at the Nike Lake Resort, Enugu.
“We are ending this year with the hope that in 2026 we will begin a rescue journey,” Obi said.
The National Chairman of the ADC, David Mark, was among the attendees.
United States Representative Riley Moors has said further military strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria could follow recent operations ordered by President Donald Trump, describing the actions as aimed at improving security and protecting Christian communities facing violence.
Moore made the remarks during a televised interview in which he addressed U.S. military strikes carried out on Christmas Day against militant targets in North-west Nigeria.
The strikes were conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, according to U.S. and Nigerian officials.
“President Trump is not trying to bring war to Nigeria, he’s bringing peace and security to Nigeria and to the thousands of Christians who face horrific violence and death,” Moore said.
He said the Christmas Day strikes against Islamic State affiliates had provided hope to Christians in Nigeria, particularly in areas affected by repeated attacks during past festive periods.
According to U.S. authorities, the strikes targeted camps used by Islamic State-linked groups operating in parts of north-west Nigeria.
Nigerian officials confirmed that the operation was carried out with intelligence support from Nigerian security agencies as part of ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation between both countries.
The United States Africa Command said the operation was intended to degrade the operational capacity of extremist groups responsible for attacks on civilians and security forces.
Nigerian authorities have described the targeted groups as a threat to national security, noting their involvement in killings, kidnappings and raids on rural communities.
Moore said the strikes marked a shift from previous years in which attacks were carried out against civilians during the Christmas period. He said the U.S. administration was focused on preventing further violence by targeting militant groups before they could launch attacks.
U.S. officials have said the military action was carried out with the consent of the Nigerian government and formed part of broader security cooperation between the two countries. Nigeria has received intelligence, training and logistical support from international partners as it seeks to contain militant activity.
Moore had previously called for stronger international attention to attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria and has urged continued U.S. engagement in addressing extremist violence. He said further action would depend on developments on the ground and continued coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Nigerian officials have maintained that counter-terrorism operations are directed at armed groups threatening civilians, regardless of religion, and have reiterated their commitment to restoring security across affected regions.
World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua on Monday survived a ghastly road accident in Makun, Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.
Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries, while two persons were said to have died on the spot.
