The Oyo State House of Assembly has acknowledged the role and efforts of the Nigerian Army as crucial in improving internal security and addressing the rising wave of banditry in the country.
The Speaker, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin, who led other Members on a courtesy visit to the 2 Mechanized Division of the Nigerian Army Odogbo, Ibadan, disclosed this during the continuation of the visit of the lawmakers to Service chiefs in the state.
Hon. Ogundoyin said as the largest in West Africa, the Nigerian Army has continued to bear the brunt of the nation’s security challenges, hence he called for more support in terms of logistics, training and moral boosting for the soldiers.
He explained that members of the state Assembly were at the Odogbo Barracks of the Nigerian Army to seek for a good working relationship with the military in the collective task of securing the lives and properties of the residents of the state.
The Speaker maintained that the spate of insecurity has continued to negatively affect the nation’s economy adding that the PDP Government in Oyo state is placing high premium on security to enable the citizens move about their daily activities without any intimidation as well as to attract both local and foreign investors to the state.
Hon. Ogundoyin, who commended the collaboration of the Nigerian Army with the other security agencies in the state in the past, called for more of such working relationship in addressing the problems of kidnapping, killer herdsmen among others in some parts of Oyo State.
While responding, the General Officer Commanding 2 Division of the Nigerian Army ,Odogbo Ibadan, Major General Okwudili Azinta commended the lawmakers for the visit, assuring that the Nigerian Army will complement the efforts of other security operatives in order to have a peaceful and more secured Oyo state.
The GOC, who said government will not achieve its set objectives nor implement its policies in an atmosphere devoid of peace and security, expressed the resolve of the Nigerian Army to support the activities of governments at all levels.
While answering a question on the alleged firing of AK 47 rifles into some neighbouring communities during live firing practice at the Cantonment range, the GOC said it was virtually impossible for the projectile to travel up to a distance of 2000metres and wreck havoc as claimed.
General Azinta explained that the effective range of the main weapon, AK 47 rifles being fired at the range is only 800metres, stressing that there is a stop-butt designed to absorb and prevent any projectile from travelling out of the range area during live firing.
He described the allegation by the communities as unfounded, maintaining that most of these communities had encroached on the land of the Nigerian Army especially at Odogbo area of Ibadan.
The GOC later led the Oyo State Speaker and other lawmakers on a tour of the cantonment range where there was a live firing demonstration.
Packaged by Kunle Gazali
