THE Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonisakin, on Monday, said the Defence Headquarters has identified lapses that resulted in failures of the joint operations of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in the prosecution of war against Boko Haram in the North-East.
In what appeared like an apparent reference to the current inroads being made by Boko Haram terrorists’ resistance against high-powered operations of the military, resulting in deaths of some troops in recent times, the CDS said the development necessitated the building of operational capacity for the Armed Forces.
He maintained that the Defence Headquarters, after reviewing some past and ongoing joint operations of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, identified the gaps in the planning and execution of joint operations.
Declaring open an Advanced Joint Operations Planning Course, in Abuja, the CDS noted that the current trend in modern warfare brought about the need for joint operations among members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
He expressed happiness that the development had significantly degraded the Boko Haram capabilities and restored governance in the North -East.
The CDS noted that notwithstanding the recorded achievements, the Defence Headquarters had reviewed some past and ongoing joint operations and identified some gaps in the planning and execution of these operations.
General Olonisakin, who was represented by Rear Admiral Andrew Dacosta,Chief of Administration, Defence Headquarters, disclosed that the identification of fault lines in the military operations in the North-East brought about the need to build operational capacity for the Armed Forces of Nigeria in the planning and execution of joint operations.
According to him, the course was designed to further enhance the understanding of participants in all the processes required for a successful planning and execution of joint operations, saying it was expected that at the end of the course, they would be well-equipped with skills required for vertical and horizontal integration of plans during the execution of joint operations.
He expressed gratitude to the British Military and Advisory Team for the training cooperation between Nigeria and Britain, adding that the British efforts towards building the desired capacity for addressing Nigeria’s internal security challenges were commendable.