Operation Hadarin Daji: Major General Godwin Mutkut Briefs Defence Correspondents.
By Helen Udoh, Outlook Media ABUJA.
General Officer Commanding 8 Division, Nigerian Army Sokoto, Major General Godwin Mutkut has received in audience the Defence Correspondents ably led by the Deputy Director Coordination, Defence Media Operations (DMO), Brig Gen. Mohammed Dahiru Abumawashi on a Press Briefing in respect to sensitive military operations in North West Nigeria.
General Officer Commanding GOC 8 Division, Nigerian Army Sokoto, who is also the Commander, Joint Taskforce, Operation Hadarin Daji OPHD, Major General Godwin Mutkut gave a run on its various operations and why enemies of the Nigerian State should not be allowed to politicize the efforts of the military in taking down bandits and making the Nigerian State a safe place for law-abiding civilians.
“We don’t bomb civilians in our operations,We take precautionary measures to ensure that we avoid civilian casualties,he said.
“The reasons why we carry out these operations in the first place is to protect civilians so they can go about their businesses ,The civilian population are central to our operations.
“We try as much as possible to make sure that these civilians don’t mix with the bandits. Ensure they don’t stray into areas where the bandits are, He said.
“We rotated it among communities so we can have more men to protect them. That yielded a lot of results and also led to bumper harvest. I think it’s something that is worthy of emulation by others. At all times the civilians are the key people that we protect.”
“We go as far as protecting them in their farms. We had a programme last year where we protected civilians in their farmland. We rotated it among communities so we can have more men to protect them. That yielded a lot of results and also led to bumper harvest. I think it’s something that is worthy of emulation by others. At all times the civilians are the key people that we protect.” Mutkut explained.
He said, “Another challenge is the size of our military, I think we need more men, and I know efforts are been made to ensure we have more men, the complain now, if you interview the soldiers they will tell you they have over stayed, but the good thing is we are rotating them.
“Overall is a thing of sacrifice; challenges can be, but it is how we sourmount those obstacles that makes us a civilized military. Challenges are part of every institutions”He said.
“We know where all the bandits are, we know all those enclaves, we know that the bandits dug up places and hide there whenever the aircraft is passing, He reavealed.
“No military in the world have enough of all the logistics to go into battle and we have same, He said.
He therefore wished they have enough men that can stand, enough platforms that they can ride in and confront the bandits.
In a complementary tour, the Defence Correspondents further proceeded to Headquarters 8 Division Garrison, where they were warmly received and supportively briefed by Commander Brig Gen. Alex Tawasimi on all the gray areas surrounding their operations as particularly misconstrued by the civilians especially, the Bayanruwa community in Zamfara where it was alleged that the military bombed civilians.
The Commander accompanied the Correspondents to the hinterland Forward Operating Bases within Sector 3 Sokoto, where they had the opportunity to interact with rescued kidnapped victims and engage with local communities.
The next leg of the visit took the team to Gusau, Zamfara State, the location of the Headquarters of Operation HADARIN DAJI, where the engaged with local communities to gain insights into the impact of military operations in their areas and assess the sentiments of the local population.
The expansionary tour afforded the Defence Correspondents the opportunity to field sensitive questions, get the right answers, interact with rescued kidnapped victims and satisfactorily engage with local communities for clarity purposes.
In separate remarks, the Deputy Director Coordination Media Operation Brig Gen . Mohammed Dahiru Abumawashi said the essence of the tour was : “To give true perspective of our operational activities and also to avoid manipulation of our operational occurrences by enemies of the Nigerian state to perpetrate their evil acts of portraying the country in a bad light.
“Also, to deepen the relationship between the army and the media by spearheading media access to enable direct interaction with the frontline formations and units, so as to have the true picture of things.”
Brig General Abumawashi thanked the Head of operations for the warmest reception and appreciated the synergy the enjoyed amidst the tour. Outlook Media ABUJA.