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The Commander Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) and General Officer Commanding 3 Division of the Nigeria Army, Major General Ibrahim Ali has directed troops to step up security and increase patrols to secure all troubled communities in Plateau State.
Gen. Ali, in a press statement on Monday signed by Military Information Officer, Major Ishaku Gaji Takwa, also debunked media reports which alleged that troops of OPSH told residents that they had no instructions to repel invaders on some community in Bassa Local Government Area where several lives were lost and properties destroyed.
“Currently, the Commander OPSH has ordered the beefing up of security and increased patrols to safeguard all troubled areas to prevent recurrence of such sad incidents.
“All law abiding citizens are therefore enjoined to cooperate with the security agencies by providing credible information that would aid the security agencies in performing their duties.
“The good people of Bassa and environs are once again urged to use the phone numbers distributed by OPSH to report activities of suspicious elements in their domain for prompt response.”
He explained that the Operation Safe Haven was a joint operation involving all security agencies with a mandate of bringing lasting peace to Plateau and its environs.
“It is practically impossible to issue orders to troops and for them not to respond to any distress situation aimed at saving the lives and property of law-abiding citizens considering that they are drawn from all the security agencies, cutting across ethnic, religious divides and under oath to maintain peace and security in the nation.
“The submission that troops have not been given permission to protect communities is not only false but wicked as the mandate of OPSH is explicitly clear on what should be done in an event of such an unfortunate situation in line with the SOP,” he said.