The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, has charged top officers and commanders of the armed forces to continue to cooperate to ensure an end to all forms of insecurity across the country.

Mr Musa gave the charge during the taking over of office by Maj.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS) on Friday in Abuja.

He said that Nigeria as a nation was going through several challenges that required all hands on deck, adding that President Bola Tinubu decided to appoint the acting COAS to ensure continuity and avoid any gap.

“We cannot afford to stay back and allow insecurity to continue to prevail. It is important that we all understand this clearly and give the acting COAS all the support to make sure he is successful.

“Gen. Lagbaja is somebody we all know as a regimented fine officer who would not want any gap to occur in his absence.

“That is why this event is taking place. So I want to count on all of us, whatever issues we have in mind, whatever opinions, please put it that Nigeria must survive, the armed forces must survive, and the services must survive.

“So everybody should put his hands on deck and let us succeed.

“To all our commanders out there in the field, the challenges are there, and we want to commend them for all the efforts they are making.

“We know they are performing magic, but we want to urge them not to relent because the bandits, the terrorists, and the criminals are not relenting.

“We are moving towards December, and we know the challenges that will come up. So we need to take all measures necessary to ensure that Nigeria remains peaceful,” he said.

The CDS gave assurance that all the services would be working as a team to keep Nigeria safe in line with the mandate of the commander-in-chief.

According to him, by this appointment, the responsibility of administering the Nigerian Army now rests on Mr Oluyede.

“Your responsibilities are wide and varied and cannot be covered in this administrative note.

“All shall yield to your new responsibility and to begin to immediately continue administering the affairs of the Nigerian army.

“It is expected that at the end of this formal event, you will be briefed extensively by the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army) and other Principal Staff Officers of the Army.

“Accordingly, you have to note that your installation was based on your vast knowledge of military leadership at all levels, character, and competence.

“You are a member of a larger team of professional soldiers who are satisfied with the responsibility of defending the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by land, sea, and air, as captured in our Constitution.

“It is therefore expected of you to consolidate and improve on the achievements of the substantive COAS and other past chiefs in order to sustain the high level of professionalism, discipline, resilience, and regimentation that the Nigerian army is known for all over the world,” he added.

(NAN)