Tinubu to military: Protect Nigeria’s territorial integrity

President Bola Tinubu has charged the armed forces to intensify efforts at protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity against all threats.

This is even as the president reiterated the urgency to upscale the fight against insecurity, which has robbed Nigeria of its of peace and progress, saying, “While the relative peace you have been able to secure is worth celebrating, you must remember that the war is not yet over until every parcel of land held by the enemy is flying the flag of Nigeria.”

Speaking at the Diamond Jubilee of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna Saturday, the president assured the military of his administration’s commitment to their welfare, as well as unflagging support to enable them discharge their duties.

The president noted that with the quality of training at the academy, the military was capable of bringing to an end, all acts of banditry, insurgency and criminality that have ravaged the country.

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“Although the war against the enemies of Nigeria is not over, it is fair to state that relative peace has been recorded across the major flashpoints. These successes have come at a price for the government and the populace. We remember our fallen heroes and those out in the trenches for the sake of our fatherland. Let us also celebrate their resilience and sacrifice at this diamond jubilee.

“I urge you to continue to play your constitutional role of safeguarding the territorial integrity of Nigeria, our fatherland. You must shun any act that is inimical to the wellbeing of our country and acts that can destroy the gains of the democracy we have enjoyed in the last 20 years,” he said.

According to him, the government is fully aware of the service and sacrifices that members of the Nigerian armed forces have continued to render across the length and breadth of the country, especially in the face of daunting challenges.

“We, as a government, will continue to accord priority to the needs of the armed forces to enable the military play its constitutional role without let or hindrance,” he said.

Tinubu also highlighted some of the milestones recorded during the transformation of the academy to include the subsequent addition and training of Air Force cadets, the successful reunification of the country after the civil war in 1967, as well as the various short-service military training programmes instituted to fill the manpower needs caused by the civil war.