Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday approved the renaming of the ongoing counterinsurgency operation in the North-east from Operation Lafiya Dole (OPLD) to Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK).
Operation Lafiya Dole and Army Super Camps were launched by former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai.
The super camp concept which entailed massing troops in a particular location, came under severe criticism during Buratai’s reign as army chief.
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, among other critics, said the super camp concept mopped up soldiers from critical areas leaving such places at the mercy of the insurgents.
A statement signed by Army Spokesman, Brigadier-General Mohammed Yerima, said the change was premised on the fact that the Nigerian Army (NA) had made progress over the years and needed to re-align for better efficiency.
Also affected by the re-designation are “the Army Super Camps which now reflect the nomenclature of the formations and units followed by the name of the locations they occupy while sub-units are redesigned as Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) followed by the name of their locations”.
The army headquarters said the changes take immediate effect.
It said the renaming was in line with the army chief’s vision of having “a Nigerian Army that is repositioned to professionally defeat all adversaries in a joint environment”.
The statement noted that “it is the belief of the COAS that the complete defeat of insurgency is a process that requires the participation of the entire nation using all elements of national power”.
He further assured that the army under his leadership would continue to pursue the path of jointness in prosecuting the counterinsurgency war.
