New acting GOC takes over in 2 Division, Nigerian Army, harps on training, retraining of soldiers

The new acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Chukwunedum Martins Abraham has stressed the importance of training and retraining of officers and soldiers to help them tackle the challenges of terrorism, economic sabotage and insurgency in Nigeria.

Brigadier-General Abraham also enjoined the officers and soldiers in his Division to brace up on the challenges ahead in the pursuit of the vision of the Chief of Army Staff.

The new GOC made the statements at the Division headquarters, Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Ibadan, Oyo State, while taking over from the erstwhile GOC in a brief ceremony on Tuesday.

Abraham, who was the Director, Foreign Liaison at the Defence Intelligence Agency, Abuja, took over from Major-General Kasimu Abdulkarim, who had been redeployed to the newly established 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, as the GOC.

He said that though the South-West was more peaceful than other parts of Nigeria, “we cannot rest on our oars, as we need to support other Divisions in carrying out the fight against terrorism, militancy and other security issues being faced by the country.

“If we don’t get the soldiers ready, it will be a problem. We want to make sure soldiers are ready to carry out their assigned roles and responsibility; hence the need for training and retraining. We can’t fold our arms and allow the saboteurs to continue. We have a responsibility to this nation and we must carry out the responsibility,” he added.

He also praised his predecessor on his achievements during the period he held sway, promising to build on the successes he attained.

Meanwhile, the erstwhile GOC also promised to tackle the challenges of pipeline vandalism, illegal bunkering and kidnapping among others, which are prevalent in the Niger Delta area.