Wounded Soldiers on the Frontlines Get Another Sallah Treat from Military Service Chiefs.

Soldiers who had sustained various degrees of injuries while fighting the non-state actors on the northeast frontlines were on Saturday, July 9, hosted to an Eid alKabir Luncheon by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Farouq Yahaya and other service chiefs in Maiduguri, Borno state.

The Luncheon, an established  legacy of a former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, (a retired Lieutenant General), was usually hosted during the Christian and Muslim annual festivals. 

To mark this year’s Eid Elkabir – Muslims major celebration that involved slaughtering of sacrificial rams, the military decided to host a joint celebration for the troops of the Nigerian Army and the Air Staff who are under the military Command and Control Center of the Operation Kai Theater of Command. 

The Theater Commander of Op-HK, Major General Chris Musa, said “the occasion  affords

the service chiefs the opportunity to appreciate the enormous sacrifices being made by troops in restoring peace and normalcy to the entire Northeast Region.” 

Thanking the service chiefs for their concern to the welfare of troops deployed for Op HADIN KAI, which he said had spurred them to strive for more successes, General Musa said the troops remain indebted to their many visits to the Theatre which have come with huge benefits to the Theatre in terms of heightened troops morale, equipment support and provision of strategic guidance for operational activities.

He said their recent operational engagements had compelled the Boko Haram terrorists “to surrender in droves, as the number of surrendered BHTS keep increasing daily”. 

“As at yesterday the number of surrendered terrorists stood 61,929. We want to assure you that we will not relent in our efforts despite the glaring successes until it’s completely over,” General Musa said.

The COAS who was represented by the Chief of Policy and Operations, Nigerian Army,  express his “sincere gratitude to the Almighty Allah for His mercies, protection and guidance over us while fulfilling our obligations to our dear Nation. Indeed, the nation has been faced with myriads of security challenges which have distorted the livelihood of all citizens.” 

“Nevertheless, the Nigerian Army has continued to employ effective means to tackle these challenges through professional conduct of its officers and men in the field. 

“It is worthy to note that the Eid-el-Kabir Festival is a special occasion which reminds us of the significance of loyalty, obedience and sacrifice. It also provides a unique opportunity for us to reflect and pray for the grace of the Almighty Allah to defeat all detractors and bring lasting peace to our fatherland. 

“It further affords us the opportunity to pray for the victory of all our troops participating in Operations HADIN KAI, HADARIN DAJI, SAHEL SANITY, WHIRL STROKE and other internal security operations across the country.

“I therefore urge all our troops to continue to maintain a high level of professionalism, patriotism and remain spiritually upright in all our undertakings.”

The COAS used the opportunity to pay special tribute to our beloved colleagues who have paid the supreme price in the defence of our fatherland. 

“The Nigerian Army under my leadership remains committed to provide quality welfare for their families and preserving the memories of their uncommon sacrifices,” he said. 

“It is important to reiterate that training, welfare and rewarding of excellence will continue to receive utmost attention under my watch. Adequate measures are already being employed to improve welfare services especially those concerning healthcare.

“I am very passionate about providing the highest standard of medical care to all Nigerian Army personnel and their families both locally and abroad. We will continue to provide the best support to those wounded in action by providing aids such as wheelchairs, prosthetics and
special vocational training to help them integrate into the society. Other counselling support will also be provided to help them overcome Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“I wish to reaffirm my commitment to rewarding excellence, gallantry
and professional conduct amongst our troops. During NADCEL 2022, I conferred the prestigious COAS Commendation Award as well as various categories of Honours and Awards to deserving officers and soldiers. I will continue to conduct regular operational visits to formations across the
country to assess our state of readiness towards the fulfilment of my vision.

“It is my resolve to rejuvenate the lost traditions, customs and
ethics of the Nigerian Army. In this regard, I am particularly concerned with empowering the Regimental Sergeant Majors and the Senior Non-
Commissioned Officers (SNCOs) so that they can discharge their roles effectively in bridging the gap between the officers and the men. I am focused on providing them with the necessary requirements that would
boost their confidence and competence in handling all assigned tasks.

“Consequently, I have approved the issue of brand new Hilux vehicles as official cars to AWOS and this will cascade down the ladder to the battalion RSMS in due course. Similarly, the construction of befitting
accommodation for AHQ RSM, Divisional RSMS and Brigade RSMs has been completed in line with my commitment to enhancing the standard of
living of all troops.”

Highlight of the colorful event was the serving of meals to the wounded troops by the service chiefs and other invited heads of military and security services amidst music,  dance and comedy sessions.