The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya, has urged General Officers Commanding (GOCs) and other Formation Commanders of the Nigerian Army (NA) to be professional and apolitical and adhere strictly to extant Code of conduct and Rules of Engagement throughout their operations, towards the successful conduct of the 2023 elections.
The Army Chief made the call Tuesday, while formally flagging off the commencement of Operation SAFE CONDUCT in all NA Divisions and formations across the country.
TheFact Daily reports that the Army Chief, reiterated the unwavering resolve of the NA to strictly adhere to its constitutional role by supporting the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, which is the lead security agency in the 2023 elections security architecture.
He charged the Commanders to identify and dominate flash points in their AORs, adding that troops must be alert, proactive and operate jointly with sister services and other security agencies during the elections.
While directing the Officers to deploy requisite logistics to ensure security and safety of citizens during the elections, the COAS warned that any infraction on the provisions of the Code of Conduct will not be treated with levity.
He also maintained that all deployments must be joint and in support of the NPF.
He observed that all eyes are on the security agencies, and that the citizens expect nothing short of free and fair elections.
“You must therefore refrain from hobnobbing with political gladiators, and maintain your apolitical stance”, he averred.
It will be recalled that the COAS, in an effort to ensure that the laws of the land and personal liberties and rights of citizens are not compromised, recently approved the Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement for Nigerian Army personnel during Operation SAFE CONDUCT 2023.
