A non-partisan civil society group, Unity Advocacy Group (UAG) has called on Nigerians to support ongoing war by the military and other security agencies against Boko Haram, bandits, crude oil thieves and criminal elements responsible for insecurity in the country.
The group said it is when Nigerians own the war against insecurity that they can contribute meaningfully to defeating the multifaceted security threats confronting the nation.
This was contained in a press release Sunday signed by the Convener of UAG Ifeanyi Aigbedion and made available to journalists.
The group also aligns with the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, in his keynote address at the recent seminar organised by Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DECAN) on Tuesday, Feb. 27,2024 where he called on Nigerians to be positive about the future of Nigeria.
The theme of the seminar is, “Civil Military Relations: Non-kinetic efforts of the Nigerian Military in Security Management, Challenges and Prospects”.
According to the CDS, the traditional notion of war relying heavily on kinetic means is gradually being relegated and we are now seeking to possess and apply non kinetic approaches to project power, secure interests and solve problems.
He said the main focus of the military remains the targeting of the will of the people through the application of a combination of soft and non military means.
“We’ve seen it over and over that dealing with non state actors everybody is struggling for the hearts and minds of the citizens. So it is important that we’re way ahead of these criminals,” the CDS noted.
UAG urged Nigerians to stand by the military and avoid comments that could dampened the morale of personnel
“We also agree with him that the challenges facing our nation are enormous, but we must look at the positive as well as speak well of our country and whatever is going on.”
The Group noted the huge sacrifices being made by members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and said the citizens must support them to restore peace and stability.
UAG commended the CDS and the AFN for sustaining the operations against bandits, terrorists in the North, irredentists in the Southeast, oil thieves in the South-South and kidnappers in various parts of the country.
.
