The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has praised the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) troops for their efforts in tackling the heightened security challenges in Plateau.
Mr Lagbaja was represented by Maj.-Gen. Markus Kangye, who made the remark on Monday during a luncheon in Mangu.
This comes in the wake of attacks by suspected herdsmen on two local government areas in Plateau, resulting in the deaths of at least 112 residents and injuries to 47 others.
The attackers, believed to be herdsmen, targeted 12 communities across Barkin Ladi and Bokkos council areas on Christmas Eve.
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OPSH, a special military task force, is tasked with maintaining peace in Plateau and parts of Bauchi and Kaduna.
Mr Lagbaja explained that the luncheon was organized to honor the troops for their resilience in ensuring peace in Plateau and Nigeria as a whole.
“At the moment, over 50,000 officers and men are on duty in various communities across the nation.
“So, we have put this luncheon to boost the morale of our troops in tackling the insecurity currently confronting us in Nigeria.
“I desire to return our troops home to their families in safety. So, we are going to drop the number of troops on internal security and build the capacity of other security agencies in addressing all internal security challenges,” he said.
The COAS reassured the troops of his commitment to improving their welfare and expressed optimism about the future of the Nigerian Army.
He also acknowledged the support of Gov. Caleb Mutfwang in aiding the troops to achieve positive outcomes in their mission to protect lives and property in the state. Maj.-Gen. Abdusalam Abubakar, the commander of OPSH, expressed gratitude to the COAS for the luncheon, stating that it would motivate the troops to perform better.
He highlighted the significant achievements of the operation in recent months, especially with the launch of a special operation named “Operation Hakorin Damisa IV”.
He said, “We have recovered over 200 illegal arms, large cache of ammunition, neutralised bandits and busted weapon manufacturing factories in the state.