The two host communities of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna State have expressed gratitude to God and the institution for living peacefully for 60 years.

The two communities were Zango and Doka, all in Afaka, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The two communities, on Monday, in Kaduna, benefited from palliatives given to them by the NDA Officers Wives Association as part of activities to commemorate the institution’s forthcoming 60 years anniversary.

They expressed joy and noted that the NDA had been a wonderful neighbour to them.

The palliatives distributed to the communities were bags of rice, beans, clothing materials, exercise books for schoolchildren  and cash tokens, among others.

Speaking to journalists, the Ward Head of Zango village, Afaka, Igabi LGA, Malam Shuaibu Abubakar, said they had never encountered any issues or problems with the NDA, since its establishment 60 years ago.

He added that the village had never experienced any form of insecurity, courtesy of the NDA.

“Whenever we smell insecurity, sometimes before we even call the NDA, they are already there to arrest situations before anybody even gets to know of anything. In these 60 years of NDA existence, we have lived peacefully, they don’t harm us in any way and we don’t harm them either,” he said.

Mr Abubakar said the palliatives from NDAOWA came to them as a surprise.

He claimed that it would go a long way in cushioning the hardship faced by the beneficiaries who were carefully selected in the community.

Mr Abubakar assured the NDA of the community’s support in possible ways and commitment to continue living peacefully.

He thanked NDAOWA for the gesture, asking for more in other ways such as admitting their children into the institution.

Also, the Ward Head of Doka, Malam Buhari Ibrahim, said the community has also lived peacefully with the NDA.

He said the palliatives from NDAOWA would further cement the peaceful coexistence with the NDA, while thanking them for the gesture.

Earlier, the Coordinator of NDAOWA, Ruth Ochai, said the essence of distributing the palliatives was to appreciate the two communities for their support in different ways to the academy.

Mrs Ochai, represented by Jessica Awolo said that part of the NDAOWA mandate was to give back to the communities who support them in their services.

She restated the association’s commitment to continue supporting humanity for the betterment of the institution and the nation.

(NAN)