The Nigerian Army, on Saturday unveiled light armoured fighting vehicles and other equipment of warfare produced by the Nigerian Army Vehicle Manufacturing Company in partnership with Proforce.
The unveiling which was part of the activities to mark the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL), 2019, held at Ikeja Cantonment in Lagos.
Stating that the unveiling of the new vehicles tallied with the significance of NADCEL, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai said the annual event was to afford Nigerian Army (NA) the opportunity to showcase its rich history, values and modest achievements.
Buratai said, " NADCEL is designed to array our personnel and equipment with a view to showcasing our combat capability as an Army. Similarly, it is aimed at projecting the NA as a key instrument of national power, unity, integration and development."
In his speech, the COAS noted that while the NA had initiated numerous operations to fight insurgency and criminality, campaign stabilisation projects are currently being conducted in the North-East to ensure the safe return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) to their homes.
The NA boss said, " We are all aware that the country is facing numerous security challenges and this has necessitated the Nigerian Army's current involvement in conducting numerous operations across the country.
" The operations are aimed at tackling the nefarious acts of these criminal elements in order to restore sanity to our dear country. Additionally, the NA has introduced numerous non-kenetic or the soft power apporach aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the citizens.
" Some of these interventions are aimed at providing the much needed security for our people who are engaged in one form of business or the other and to enable our farmers to return to their farms.
" To achieve this, the NA have also introduced and indeed currently conducts campaign stabilisation project in the North-East which focuses on countering the Boko Haram negative ideology and ensuring the safe return of the IDPs and refuges to their ancestral homes."
Buratai further appreciated the President, Muhammad Buhari, for his numerous support to the NA.
Making his remark at the occasion, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari assured Nigerian of security saying Kidnapping, Banditry, Insurgency and other forms of criminality are been tackled.
While inspecting the armoured vehicles, the President who was represented by the Vice- President, Prof. Yemi Osinbanjo congratulated the Nigerian Army on the innovation.
" I want to reassure all Nigerians that issues of kidnapping, banditry, farmers and herdsmen clashes are being seriously tackled by the Federal Government, working with the States, through a multi-pronged approach.
" Nobody will be allowed to maim, kill or commit other crimes and escape. It is our duty to apprehend and punish these criminals and that is what we are doing.
" But perhaps, the most impressive feature of today's celebrations is the demonstration of our local capacity to manufacture armored vehicles. We have seen that what DiCON in collaboration with Command Engineering Depot of the Nigerian Army has done with the manufacture of infantry patrol vehicles, tactical patrol vehicles, sophisticated mine clearance systems and other equipment of warfare.
" Proforce, a local vehicle company has also displayed its Mine resistant anti-ambush protected vehicles, these are designed 100% at Proforce, in collaboration with the Nigerian army.
" Already some African countries have purchased armored vehicles from this company. Nigeria, will in another decade, manufacture most of its military hardware."
Earlier, 288 flats, renovated for personnel of the NA, were commissioned by the COAS in Lagos.
Mrs. Onwe Chizoba, a resident of one of the renovated flats expressed gratitude to the NA leadership saying, "Before now, the block housing my flat was very bad. But I wm glad that the COAS has favored us with new structures.
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