Rivers Gets 6 Division Army Hqtrs …Team To Secure Four States In N’Delta

Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital is now the proud host of the new 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, effectively providing and coordinating more elevated internal security architecture for the state and three Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Delta.

This follows the elevation of the Army formation in the state, 2 Brigade, to full-fledged division, and appointment of a general officer commanding (GOC), to oversee the strategic area, rather than taking commands from Enugu, which had over the years supervised operations in the area.

The Tide gathered that the goal is to ensure that the Nigerian Army’s new 6 Division in Port Harcourt effectively and efficiently organises and improves internal security operations in the four critical states of the volatile Niger Delta region.

The four states collectively produce the bulk of the nation’s oil and gas resources, and therefore, the major revenue call centres of the country.

The pioneer General Officer Commanding (GOC), the new 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen Kasimu Abdulkarim, said at the weekend in Port Harcourt, that the military had recorded success in the war against terror and was committed to combating emerging security threats in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country.

Abdulkarim said the Division will cover other Nigerian Army formations, including 2 Brigade in Akwa Ibom; 16 Brigade in Bayelsa and 63 Brigade in Delta states, respectively, with divisional headquarters in Port Harcourt.

“This arrangement will help to curtail activities of militants, banditry, inter-communal clashes, illegal bunkering, kidnapping, robberies, Niger Delta Avengers and other militant groups, and pipeline vandalism prevalent in the area.

“Insecurity in these states negatively impacts on our national economy resulting from sabotage by criminal entities within the region.

“Everything must be done to protect and defend our fledgling democracy with focus to prevent insecurity in the area of our responsibility,” he said.

Abdulkarim said his mission was to structure and enhance the operational capability of the division, and improve combat readiness of the troops.

He said the task included a review of existing intelligence architecture; accountability; inclusiveness; rule of law; troops discipline and respect for human rights.

The GOC said the division would work with the media and the public to promote civil-military relations with focus on improving intelligence gathering.

“Officers and soldiers of 6 Division must collectively evolve media management skills in the exploit of mass and social media’s growing power instead of fighting it.

“Our personnel must be honest, trustworthy and professional in their conduct to earn public confidence in our internal security operations,” he said.

He urged governments and communities in the four states to cooperate with the division to enable it to achieve its mandate to improve security in the region.