BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

ABUJA —  Nigerian Army Headquarters Garrison and the Police Command in Abuja, yesterday, said they would continue to work together in the fight against terrorism and insurgency in the Federal Capital Territory because of its status as seat of government.

Commander, AHQ Garrison, Major General Obidah Etnan, who pledged the Army’s commitment to ensuring that Abuja was secure at all times, promised to provide all necessary assistance to the Police whenever the need arose.

According to him, both security agencies are fighting the same cause of ensuring peace and security.

Speaking when FCT Police Commissioner, Olufemi Ogunbayode, visited him in his office, Major General Etnan said:  “The Nigerian Police Force has played a key role in ensuring peace and security in the FCT, especially as it pertains the challenges of insurgency and terrorism that are confronting us today.

“In fact, the security of the FCT and nation at large is paramount to us at both the Army Headquarters Garrison and Police Headquarters.

“With proper cooperation and synergy, I believe the challenges of countering terrorism and insurgency will be less problematic to us.

“However, I want to say that information and intelligence sharing is the key to both security agencies checkmating crime and terrorism challenges.
“There must be trust and camaraderie. We should not habour any doubt in our responsibilities to the nation and to our agencies.”

On his part, the police commissioner said that historically, the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Police Force had been an integral part of each other, noting that both agencies had worked well in several internal security operations as well as Joint Task Forces.
Insisting that both agencies had no choice but to collaborate in tackling security challenges, the CP said:   “There is no other security force that plays as much complimentary and contemporary role as the Nigerian Army does for the Police.

‘In the fight against insurgency and terrorism for instance, both the Army and the Nigerian Police have lost considerable number of personnel.

“Why should we therefore succumb to the show of shame by our junior officers of rank and file as well as soldiers rank? This should not be allowed to continue.”