Major General Rogers Nichols has taken command of Operation Safe Haven, the multi-service security taskforce in charge of maintaining peace in Plateau and parts of Bauchi State.
Daily Trust reports that the appointment of a substantive commander for the task force followed the retirement of Major General Tagbo Ude in June. The taskforce has since been commanded by the chief of Staff, Brigadier General Abdulsalam Bagudu Ibrahim.
General Nicholas who took command yesterday at the OPSH headquarters in Jos urged officers to respect their host communities without compromising human rights and professionalism. “The people you are protecting are Nigerians. They are your brothers and sisters, therefore you must ensure neutrality because we will not hesitate to deal with any officer that takes sides,” he said.
Earlier, General Ibrahim assured the new commander that he was handing over a safe Plateau as well as sound and dedicated officers ready to work with him.
General Nicholas is now the 9th commander of the taskforce which was established in 2010 as Special Task Force following ethno-religious conflicts in Plateau State.