…As Army reports ‘minor’ fire incident at HQ
The Senate has confirmed four newly appointment Service Chiefs.
They are: Maj. Gen. Lucky Eluonye Onyenucheya lrabor – Chief of Defence Staff (CDS); Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru – Chief of Army Staff (COAS); Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo – Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka O. Amao – Chief of Air Staff (CAS).
They replace the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
The approval followed the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Defence which recommended their confirmation.
The Committee is chaired by Senator Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto North).
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, had two weeks ago referred the request of President Muhammadu Buhari to the committee on Defence for further legislative work.
Lawan gave the Senator Wamakko-led committee two weeks to carry out their assignment and report to the Senate in plenary.
Lawan urged the new Service Chiefs to take the war to the bandits and insurgents and dislodge them in their strongholds.
He described as “unacceptable” the recent activities of bandits which saw the kidnapping of students in Katsina, Niger, and Zamfara states, respectively.
The Senate President said: “We in the National Assembly, particularly in the Senate, will continue to support our Armed Forces in whatever way is possible.
“We believe that there is no better investment today in Nigeria, and, indeed at any time, than investing in the security of our country, to protect the lives and properties of our people.
“And, therefore, we will continue to support them, but we expect excellence. We expect them – our armed forces – to take the fight to the bandits.
“In a situation where bandits will come to a school, take over 300 hundred students on motorcycles and disappear into thin air without any trace is not acceptable.
“Something has to give, because apparently this is becoming an industry. Some people are benefitting from this, and we have to unravel who this people are and fight bandits and insurgents until we rescue our country.”
Lawan, therefore, advised the newly confirmed Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs to foster inter-agency cooperation among security agencies.
“Let me also advise the Service Chiefs that there must be inter-agency cooperation.
“The Army, the Airforce must coordinate their activities because they are supposed to have complimentary roles.
“I wish them all the success and we promise them, and indeed Nigerians that we will support them in whatever way is possible; that the parliament will come to their support,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has reported a fire outbreak at its Headquarters complex in Abuja.
It attributed the cause of the inferno to faulty electrical installations.
The Director Army Public Relations Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima, said: “Electrical fault sparked a minor fire incident at the Army Headquarters Complex, Abuja, Tuesday morning.
“The incident which happened at about 10.15am was as a result of minor electrical fault in one of the offices.
“The Army Headquarters complex is currently undergoing some renovation involving electrical rework.
“The Nigerian Army Fire Service Department has since put out the fire. No casualty was recorded during the incident and normalcy has since returned to the complex”.