The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, has assured the Nigerian Defence Academy of the Army’s support to enhance the security at the military university.
The COAS gave the assurance on Tuesday when he visited the academy, according to a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Major Bashir Jajira, on Wednesday in Kaduna.
Jajira said the COAS’s visit to the academy was to get a firsthand brief on the attack on the institution and to commiserate with the commandant, Major General Ibrahim Yusuf, and its community.
He added that the COAS had assured the academy that the Nigerian Army would also provide the academy with additional operational enablers to further enhance security of the academy.
He appealed to the academy’s staff to remain loyal to the country and not allow the unfortunate incident deter them from their ultimate objective of grooming officer cadets for the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
He further enjoined all officers, soldiers and civilian staff in the Academy to remain vigilant “because the fight against insecurity must be a collective effort.”
“The COAS vowed that no matter how long it takes, the perpetrators of this heinous act would be brought to justice,” he added.
Jajira disclosed that the COAS also undertook an on-the-spot assessment of the scene of the incident before departing from the Academy.
He said Yusuf, briefed the COAS on the security breach into the academy, which occurred on August 24, 2021.
He expressed his appreciation to the COAS for his encouragement and support for the academy before and after the incident, particularly efforts being made to ensure the safe return of the abducted officer.
He particularly thanked the COAS for upgrading the Academy Demonstration battalion to a full-fledged battalion, providing six gun trucks to the Academy and deploying more instructors and staff.
Another commendable intervention, he said, was the provision of other numerous operational enablers to enhance the security of the academy and its environs.
Jajira said the commandant informed the COAS that these support measures have really boosted the morale of the staff and the security of the Academy.
The commandant also briefed the COAS on the new security measures being taken in collaboration with 1 Division Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force and other security agencies in Kaduna State to prevent any future security breach in the Academy.
For this collaborative efforts, the COAS commended the Commandant NDA, GOC 1 Division, Air Officer Commanding Air Training Command, and Heads of other security agencies in Kaduna State.
According to Jajira, the incident had reinforced the cohesion of the entire Academy Community who have vowed to provide formidable support and prevent future occurrence.
Jajira said the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, had paid a similar solidarity visit to the academy on August 24.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the academy had on August 24 confirmed the attack by gunmen, disclosing that one officer was abducted and two others killed.