Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has called for sustained operations into terrorists’ enclaves to ensure the end of banditry and other security challenges in the state.

El-Rufai made the call at the opening of the Nigerian Army 2022 Combat Arms Training Week at Jaji Military Cantonment in Kaduna on Wednesday.

The combat arms are the Infantry and Armour Corps of the army who are specially and directly involved in battle.

Speaking at the event, the governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, said sustained operations into terrorists’ enclaves would maximally reduce the numerous security challenges, which have impeded the pace of national development.

He underscored the expediency and need for collaboration in fighting Nigeria’s real and perceived adversaries, to restore national pride and dignity.

According to the governor, the Infantry and Armoured Corps of the Nigerian Army are the leading elements of the actual fighting with all enemies of the state.

He noted that since Nigeria’s Independence, the duo had continued to play a key role in ensuring stability within and outside the country.

“Nigeria’s history of unity, peace and progress cannot be written without giving outstanding credit to the Nigerian Army,” El-Rufai said.

According to NAN, the governor also called for a holistic review of collaborative security strategy at all levels, and the right attitude among all stakeholders.

“The current challenges demand that we all rejuvenate, calibrate and strive diligently to sustain optimal levels of cooperation.

“Anything less than a fully collaborative spirit may turn our best efforts into liabilities, instead of assets to the entire security architecture.

“With the current posture of the Nigerian Army, I am optimistic that the security challenges bedevilling the nation will be addressed within the shortest time possible, through effective training such as this.

“It is therefore not out of place that the combat arms are making efforts to train jointly in preparation for future operational engagements,” El-Rufai stated.

The governor commended the army, whose professional response, according to him, helped to forestall further damages during the recent terrorist attack on passengers aboard a Kaduna-bound train from Abuja in March.

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He urged the army not to relent in the efforts to find the perpetrators of the act and bring them all to justice or, to their bitter end.

Earlier, the Commander, Infantry Corps, Maj.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu, explained that Training Week was an annual event.

He said it was organised to appraise the activities of the manoeuvre arms in their quest to achieve the Nigerian Army mission.

Ezugwu, who spoke on his capacity and that of the Commander Armoured Corps, Maj.-Gen. Sulaiman Idris, said the event hosted serving and retired personnel of the manoeuvre arms.

He added that it also included other resource persons, who helped to conceptualise effective strategies for enhancing the Army’s capabilities.

Ezugwu said the event underscored the increasing awareness of the need to review tactical level operations as prerequisites for the attainment of the operational imperatives of the Army.

On his part, the Chairman of the occasion, former Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Maj.-Gen. Paul Tarfa, said Nigeria was undoubtedly facing serious security challenges occasioned by multidimensional causes.

He, however, noted that the NA had resolutely continued to tackle the vices by applying kinetic and non-kinetic measures.

Tarfa urged the combat arms to redouble their efforts for more successes.

He solicited robust interaction and cross-fertilization of ideas between the serving and retired officers with a view to finding solutions to the contemporary security challenges facing Nigeria.

The event was accompanied by the mass planting of 10,000 trees at the Infantry Corps Centre.