President Bola Tinubu has reiterated his commitment to a peaceful and united Nigeria, where all the citizens would coexist without rancour.

Mr Tinubu, represented by Mohammed Badaru, the Minister of Defence, said this at the 2024 Nigerian Army Day Celebrations on Saturday in Jos.

The president expressed his administration’s readiness to support the military and other security agencies toward safeguarding the nation.

Mr Tinubu commended the army for its role in stemming the tide of insecurity in the country and described it as a critical element toward nation-building.

”With the increasing security challenges in the last one and a half, the Nigerian Army is playing a key role toward the protection of lives and property.

”With the display of equipment and physical fitness of personnel I have seen today, I’m convinced that the Nigerian Army is ready to protect our territorial integrity.

”We are committed to providing all that is needed to enable the Nigerian Army to play its role professionally and effectively,” he said.

Chief of Army Staff Taoreed Lagbaja thanked the president for the confidence and support for the army in its bid to tackle insecurity in the country.

Mr Lagbaja, who said the army had demonstrated deep commitment toward addressing insecurity, noted that its troops had achieved significant progress in the fight against insurgency and other forms of security challenges.

”The Nigerian Army under my watch is committed to improving our operational effectiveness to meet the ever-changing violent and complex threats to the nation.

”The army has also expanded and deepened its training activities for operational effectiveness. These measures have enabled us to successfully contain the activities of bandits in the North-West while the heinous crimes of Boko Haram terrorists have been brought to an all-time low.

”The incidences of farmers-herders conflict in the North-Central has equally been curtailed, and we have gained the upper hand against the criminal groups in the South-East, South-West as well as the South-South zones,” he said.

Mr Lagbaja added that the army had adopted measures toward the total elimination of all threats to the nation and the people within the shortest practicable time.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Kefas Agbu of Taraba, former Senate President Ahmed Lawan, serving and retired senior military officers, among other top government functionaries, attended the event.

(NAN)