The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olanisakin, says the Military is approaching current security challenges in the country through careful planning and appraisals.
Olanisakin made the remarks in a message to the opening of Defence Headquarter Contingency Plan SIMEX, held at Armed Forces Simulation Center, Jaji in Kaduna State.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the CDS, was represented by Maj-Gen Augustine Agundu, Director Campaign Planning, said combating the recurring security challenges require careful planning to ensure success.
He said: “The prevailing security situation in the country, are characterized by continued attacks, reprisals and retaliatory acts between farmers and herdsmen, banditry, cattle rustling, wanton killings as well as pipeline vandalism and oil theft which grossly affect our collective national well being.
“Combating these menace needed careful planning and evaluation through continuous and qualitative training.
“In modern theater of war, higher standards of training are required of troops so that they are able to operate with greater restraints.
“Realistic training entails simulating a real situation that a commander could experience which would impact on him the knowledge to confront the fluidity of battle in crisis situations, especially in these times that combat is redefined with greater restraint to avoid collateral damage.
“This standard can only be achieved through making training more realistic at exercising the decision making process of commanders and their troops.”
The CDS admonished the country’s military to carry out their constitutional responsibilities in the most professional manner with total loyalty and subordination to civil authority.
Earlier, Director Simulation Center, Maj.-Gen. Julius Oni, said the exercise would help build the capacity of participants in addressing current security challenges in the country.
Oni said: “Scenario training through simulation is a current global practice aimed at training and rehearsing commanders and staff on real time capacities.
“This particular exercise will therefore help prepare troops on how to deal with some of the security challenges by the use of networked computers which serve as interface to real time situation.”