Lagos State governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has assured the Nigerian Army of his administration’s continued support as it engages in intensive security duties in the state.
The governor, who gave this assurance at the flag-off ceremony of the Nigeria Army’s 81 Division’s exercise code-named ‘Crocodile Smile IV’ for Lagos and Ogun states held at Takwa Bay, Lagos, also urged Lagos residents to be security conscious.
Represented at the event by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, the governor commended the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Yusuf Buratai, for his thoughtfulness and strategic foresight in mooting the idea of Exercise Crocodile Smile Iv which was geared towards ensuring peace and security within the South-West and South-South region during the festive period.
According to the governor, “from antecedents, the security issues prevalent within the yuletide are not lost on any of us as criminal elements move to amass wealth through underhanded means during the period”
He added that the Exercise Crocodile Smile IV is a welcome development that promises to ensure that criminal elements have no safe haven within the period.
“We cannot thank you enough for your efforts and sacrifices”, the governor said, commending the army for their resilience and determination towards providing security in Lagos and other states across the country, including the federal capital territory.
While seeking the support for security operatives, the governor urged the citizens to be security conscious and notice what goes on in their environment.
“The Police and other security personnel are not magicians and they don’t look at oracle, they listen to information; it is good for all of us to conduct ourselves and just be our neighbours’ keeper,” he said.
He further affirmed that beaches around Lagos, which are beehive of activities, will remain safe with such security activities as the one planned and executed by the Nigerian army.
Commenting on the clean-up of the beaches as part of efforts to boost tourism, the Governor urged citizens to own the beaches and treat them as their homestead by properly disposing their plastics and wastes properly
Earlier in his remarks, Buratai, who was represented at the event by the General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Nigerian Army, John Olubunmi Irefin, a Major-General, explained that the Exercise Crocodile Smile IV was part of their commitment to combating security challenges in the country such as illegal oil bunkering activities, militancy, kidnapping, pipeline vandalism; cultism and some other common sundry crime.
He added that the objectives of the operation were to reduce, to the barest minimum, the prevailing security threat in the riverine environment and sharpen the professional skills of security personnel that are involved in the exercise.
Buratai noted that the exercise would be intelligence-driven and will portray real time operation at any moment a potent threat is encountered. According to him, “this will be in line with the military’s constitutional role of conducting internal security operation to aid civil authority.”
He stated further that the exercise would provide good opportunity for collaboration with other services and relevant security agencies in order to strengthen greater inter-agency cooperation in combating crime and criminality in the country.
CHUKA UROKO
