NIGERIAN ARMY WOMEN’S CORPS IN ASABA FOR CIMIC ACTIVITIES

Officers and soldiers of the Headquarters, Nigerian Army Women’s Corps on Wednesday stormed Asaba for Show of Force and Clean Up exercise, in support of Operation Crocodile Smile launched in the South South geo political zone by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Burutai.

They were led by the Chief of Staff of the Corps, Colonel Dorothy Ojie, who said the Corps was constituted by the COAS in March 2018 as a platform to train professionally responsive female soldiers to support the Nigeria Army.

Colonel Ojie said the Corps was also meant to encourage female soldiers, amongst whom are gunners, medical doctors and Armoured Personnel Carrier drivers to rise to the peak of their careers.

She disclosed that their visit to Asaba was to strengthen Civil/Military Cooperation through participation in various activities, including traffic control, medical outreach and environmental sanitation, in order to give a boost to Operation Crocodile Smile, adding that the Nigerian Army Women’s Corps also used the opportunity to showcase the women to encourage others to enlist into the Army.

The female soldiers carried out Operation Show Force from Summit Junction, through Nnebisi road to the Cable market, where they engaged in a clean up exercise.

Speaking on the visit of a detachment of the Nigerian Army Women’s Corps to Asaba, the Commander, 63 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Usman Bello, commended the COAS for setting up the Corps in line with global practice of gender equality.

General Bello said the female soldiers came to provide support for Operation Crocodile Smile, particularly as it concerned Civil/Military Cooperation needed to make the Operation successful.

The Brigade Commander said camping for Operation Crocodile Smile, which started on November 8 would end on December 23, was intended to sharpen the skills of Commanders, Staff Officers and Troops on internal security operations, with a view to nipping current and emerging operational challenges, including pipeline vandalism, illegal bunkering, kidnapping and militancy in the riverine areas in the bud.

General Bello added that the training exercise would focus on operational logistics and terrain challenges in the state, while the police, paramilitary organisations, Ministries, Departments and Agencies would be involved so as to fashion out a water tight security arrangement that would guarantee a safe environment during the festive period.