Group Lauds COAS Oluyede’s Commitment To Troops’ Welfare

A coalition of civil society unions, Campaign Against Injustice, CAI, has lauded the Chief of Army Staff, Gen Olufemi Oluyede, for his commitment to the troops’ welfare.

CAI, in a statement issued by its convener, Abbey Jolaosho in Lagos on Monday, said this has further strengthened the resolve by the COAS to tackle headlong the security challenges facing Nigeria.
” The announcement by Gen Oluyede would boost the morale of the troops and give the necessary impetus to put in their best. “We are glad with this news as it further conformed our belief that the Army Chief has got all what it takes ‘to win the war on terrorism,’ the group added.

The group, however, called on well-meaning Nigerians to also lend a helping hands to the Army when necessary, bearing in mind that defeating insurgency requires a collective commitment.

” We are using this medium to urge all Nigerians to ‘own’ the Army and assist in whatever ways at this defining moment in our country. We have to bear it in mind that defeating this hydra called terrorism would require the support of the civilians.

” It’s expedient at this moment to also play our own part, which is incumbent on us by the Constitution as good citizens,” the group noted.

It would be recalled that Gen Oluyede last Tuesday
paid an operational visit to Godwin Ally Barracks, Ogoja, Cross River State, where he commended the resilience and dedication of officers and soldiers of 130 Battalion and 341 Artillery Regiment.

He praised their unwavering commitment to safeguarding the nation and assured them that the Nigerian Army, under his leadership, would continue to prioritise their welfare alongside operational effectiveness.

The visit formed part of his assessment tour of formations and units under the 82 Division Area of Responsibility. On arrival, the COAS inspected key facilities, interacted directly with the troops, and expressed appreciation for the sacrifices they continue to make in the face of difficult security challenges.

Oluyede, who has consistently underlined his belief in supporting soldiers’ families, disclosed that substantial resources were being invested in revamping schools within the barracks to ensure children and wards of personnel have access to first-class education. He also directed the immediate renovation of dilapidated accommodation blocks to provide better living standards for soldiers and their dependants.

Reaffirming his “Soldiers First” mantra, the Army Chief stressed that his administration was committed to improving the living and working conditions of Nigerian Army personnel, while equipping them with the tools needed to tackle evolving security threats.

He cited the recent increase in the Ration Cash Allowance, which has allowed commanders to provide better meals for their troops, as a measure that must be matched by renewed commitment and professionalism on the part of the soldiers.

The COAS further announced ongoing efforts to provide every soldier with new uniforms and essential military kits to ensure seamless operational performance. These measures, he said, were part of deliberate steps to standardise readiness, reinforce esprit de corps, and raise morale across the ranks.

Charging the troops to maintain the highest standards of discipline and professionalism, General Oluyede urged them to strengthen synergy with sister security agencies and engage positively with host communities. Such collaboration, he emphasised, was vital to consolidating peace and stability in Cross River and the wider region.

The Ogoja visit, like others undertaken in recent weeks, highlights the dual focus of the Army Chief’s leadership — driving operational efficiency on the frontlines while also investing heavily in welfare initiatives for the rank and file.

Group demands immediate proclamation of emergency rule to forestall continuous use of security votes by Governor Lawal to feed bandits

The Situation Room on Monitoring the War Against Banditry has urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State, accusing Governor Dauda Lawal of complicity in the state’s spiralling banditry crisis.

The group alleged that Lawal is using state funds to carter for bandits in his state, emboldening criminals and betraying the trust of ordinary citizens.

The group’s fury was sparked by a viral video in which Governor Lawal admitted to knowing the precise locations of bandit leaders terrorising the state

Patriot Henry Abba, the group’s convener, at a press conference condemned this as a “shocking, heartbreaking, a betrayal of trust, a failure of leadership, and a dangerous signal to every Nigerian who still believes in the rule of law.”

He labelled Lawal’s words a “confession of complicity,” arguing that his failure to share this intelligence with security agencies has left Zamfara a “graveyard” synonymous with death, destruction, and broken dreams.

Abba described Zamfara’s suffering in vivid terms, with communities ravaged by abductions, killings, and displacement.

Despite receiving “₦600 million monthly in security votes,” Lawal’s claim of powerlessness was deemed “irresponsible on many levels” and a move that “demoralises our soldiers” and “insults the memory of those who have died defending our country.”

The group rejected efforts by Lawal’s loyalists to frame his remarks as a cry for help, with Abba asserting, “This is not a cry for help. It is a confession of complicity.

“It is an admission that he knows where the killers live, yet chooses to remain passive while his people bleed.”

Abba questioned why Lawal has not provided evidence of sharing these “known locations with the necessary or relevant security agencies that in turn, failed to act on the shared intelligence.”

The group further accused Lawal of allowing local government chairmen to operate from Gusau, alleging that “allocations meant for developing the grassroots through the local governments somewhat found their way into private pockets.”

Some suspect the governor’s video was a political stunt, with Abba noting a “fringe postulation” that Lawal’s “video theatrics were politics taken too far” to “demonise the government at the center” and mask his administration’s failure to govern Zamfara’s ungoverned spaces.

He called this a “confirmation that what we have in Zamfara state is a leadership that has lost its moral compass and raison d’être.”

The Situation Room urged President Tinubu to halt Zamfara’s federal allocations pending a “full investigation” into Lawal’s handling of security funds and intelligence.

They demanded a joint probe by the EFCC, DSS, and the National Security Adviser to determine “whether public funds have been misused or diverted,” alongside a National Assembly hearing to hold the governor accountable.

The group also pressed for “protection for whistleblowers and victims who may have been silenced or ignored” and urged “strong consideration of the declaration of a state of emergency in Zamfara State” if Lawal is found to have enabled criminal networks.

Clarion Call: Bandits Attempt to Invade ErukuCity in Kwara State Thwarted by Vigilantes
…The insecurity situation in Kwara State is deteriorating.

~By Oluwaseun Fabiyi

Will The Sons And Daughters Of ErukuCity Be Able To Sleep Peacefully?

In the early hours of Sunday, 14th September 2025, a group of dreaded herdsmen, commonly known as bandits, attempted to invade ErukuCity, located on the boundary between Kogi and Kwara. Praise is due to ErukuCity’s courageous vigilante/hunters who clashed with the bandits in a fierce 45-minute gun battle. Although the bandits set fire to the vigilante’s van in front of Baba Gbadebo’s apartment in Okerepe, the vigilant/hunters escaped the bandits’ bullets without harm and also chased them into the bush.

ErukuCity is not a place to be invaded, as their hunters are exceptionally strong. Kudos to all the hunters/vigilantes who consistently stood their ground to secure the entire community.

The ErukuCity community in Kwara State has been consistently overlooked by the state government. Should further chaos from bandits erupt within the community, the Kwara government must bear responsibility for neglecting the community in every aspect, as their only visits are during election campaigns, which is highly inappropriate.

The urgent attention of the Kwara governor is needed, and prompt security measures are required in ErukuCity. All sons and daughters of ErukuCity who are currently in the corridors of power should lend their voices and desist from selling their community for political gains; everyone is expected to voice out because what’s ravaging is far beyond APC politics. This is insecurity waging war against the ErukuCity community.

If bandits can attempt to invade the ErukuCity community in broad daylight, cart away the Owa of ErukuCity’s cow, and also burn a vigilante’s patrol van, then who knows what might happen at midnight when residents would be sleeping? We have been shouting about insecurity within Kwara South for weeks, yet the Kwara government is folding its hands, pretending as if nothing is happening in Kwara State. It’s a pity Kwarans have a weak governor without security strength.
@highlight #everyoneactivefollowersシfypシ゚viralシalシ #kwarastate #kwaraSouth #kwaragovernor