The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu has charged graduating recruits under the Restore Hope initiative to decisively confront bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal elements threatening the peace and security of the nation.
The COAS gave the charge on Thursday, 18 June 2026, during the graduation ceremony of the Restore Hope programme for the 90 Regular Recruit Intake at the Depot Nigerian Army Shooting Range, Zaria.
Shaibu emphasised that Nigeria is currently passing through a critical period in its history, as criminal elements masquerading as bandits and kidnappers continue to inflict hardship on citizens through abductions and the wanton destruction of lives and property.
“The security challenges confronting Nigeria today are complex, uncertain and ambiguous. Terrorism, banditry and other asymmetric threats demand not only courage, but also intelligence, discipline and strategic thinking. The era of relying solely on conventional responses to unconventional threats is behind us,” the army chief said.
He urged the recruits, who will be inducted into military service in two days’ time, to remain resolute, professional and uncompromising in dealing with criminal elements, while operating within the Rules of Engagement and the highest standards of military ethics.
The COAS congratulated the graduating recruits for successfully completing modern and rigorous military training, assuring them that the Nigerian Army has acquired modern combat enablers and is pursuing the procurement of additional capabilities to enhance operational effectiveness and make the task of soldiering more efficient and safer.
The Restore Hope initiative is a specialised programme designed to further inculcate professionalism, discipline, resilience and unwavering loyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, while preparing recruits to effectively respond to the country’s evolving security challenges.
Meanwhile, on the fourth day of “Operation Clean Sweep”, troops carried out a well-coordinated clearance mission targeting terrorist strongholds in and around Tuga, within Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, leveraging real-time Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance support, complemented by precision strikes from the Air Component of Operation Fansan Yamma, cleared several terrorists’ camps.
The troops recovered a large number of rustled livestock, including 36 cattle, 280 sheep and two donkeys, disrupting the economic lifelines of the criminal groups, whose activities are largely sustained through cattle rustling and related illicit enterprises.
In a statement, the Nigerian Army said troops sustained operational momentum, advancing further into the notorious Fafu Forest, applying the “relentless incursion strategy” aimed at denying terrorists safe havens.
“Following coordinated aerial and artillery bombardments on identified targets, troops converged within the objective area, engaging and destroying several terrorist camps and concealed hideouts embedded within difficult terrain.
“In the course of exploitation, the troops uncovered a hideout linked to a notorious terrorist leader, where kidnapped victims were being held under harsh conditions. Two lifeless bodies were recovered at the site, while one victim, identified as Nura Yar’Adua, was found in chains and successfully rescued.”
The statement said further assessments confirmed the effectiveness of the operation, with terrorist logistics structures destroyed and clear signs of enemy casualties observed within the targeted locations, indicating a significant degradation of their operational capability.
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