Nigeria’s army chief, Olufemi Oluyede, says there is no hiding place for bandits, terrorists and other criminal elements in the country.

Mr Oluyede stated this on Tuesday at the headquarters of Army 4 Special Forces, Doma, Nasarawa, during his tour of the country’s army formations.

He added that the army would deal decisively with all the criminal elements threatening the country’s peace and unity and restore it to its glorious past.

Mr Oluyede explained that the country had many security challenges and that the army must work with other agencies to tackle them.

He explained that it would step up its game and not disappoint Nigerians by flushing out the bad elements from the country and making it safe for all to leave without any fear.

Mr Oluyede appreciated the contributions of all personnel in the theatre in different parts of the country and promised to prioritise their welfare and training.

The army chief explained that he had about four Special Forces barracks and was informed about their challenges by the commander, Maj.-Gen. Hilary Nzan.

He promised that by February 20, the Army would begin the construction of an additional five blocks of hostel for junior and senior officers as well.

He further said that his command philosophy was to prioritise the welfare of soldiers before anything else, by ensuring that personnel enjoyed themselves while serving and after retirement.

He announced that the era of favouritism in the army was over, as, according to him, officers would excel in the service based on their hard work.

He promised to do everything possible to improve the welfare of soldiers as a leader and expected that they would reciprocate by being more committed and dedicated to their duties.

The army chief, however, promised to reward those dedicated to their duties and deal with those found flouting the rules guiding the army.

Mr Oluyede said he had served in the North-East for more than two years, and no soldier would reject posting to any troubled area under his leadership.

(NAN)