Nigerians should trust their military, the chief of defense says

Nigerians have been urged to have faith in the Armed Forces by General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defense Staff.

According to Musa, there is no reason to question their sincerity in defending the nation’s democratic system of governance as well as the safety of people and property.

In the Delta State village of Okuama, some individuals recently set up an ambush that resulted in the deaths of 17 military soldiers.

On March 14, some enraged adolescents ambushed and killed the slain troops, who were reportedly on a peacekeeping operation.

On Wednesday, their corpses were buried at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja.

Speaking on Thursday at the Chief of Defence Staff Conference for Joint Task Force Commanders concluding ceremony in Abuja, Musa asserted that the people are the reason behind the military’s existence.

Musa said, “Trust your armed forces. The armed forces are here for Nigerians. We are here to protect democracy and we want to assure you that we do our best until Nigeria is fully safe and secure.”

According to Musa, the military is collaborating with the National Orientation Agency and other pertinent parties to help alter the public’s perspective of the armed forces.

He continued by saying that this became crucial as the nation’s residents were essential to the military’s efforts to bring peace back.

Musa said, “We are working with relevant organisations NOA among others to show Nigerians the Armed forces is for Nigerians. We are here to protect Nigerians, but with the challenges we are facing, we cannot do it alone. We need the support of all.”

The CDS advised the commanders to maintain and foster the cooperative attitude with other security services.

He said, “One of the key takeaways from our discussion has been the importance of cooperation and collaboration. As commanders, we must foster a culture of partnership and synergy among our forces and across theatres. Let us restore and sustain the spirit of jointness in our respective task forces and integrate it into our day-to-day operations.”

But he cautioned the commanders not to depend solely on foreign funding to keep their operations going.

Musa said, “In the areas of funding as discussed during the last meeting of Ministers of Defence and Chief of Defence Staff of the Lake Chad basin, We must explore other avenues of sustaining our operations and not relying solely on international donors.”