Defence Correspondents Visit Several Military Formations, During Insightful Media Outreach
By Anthonia Okwuolise
The Defence Correspondents, led by Deputy Director the Coordination Media Operation Brig Gen Mohammed Dahiru Abumawashi had undertook a visit to Headquarters 8 Division.
During the visit, the team of Correspondents received a comprehensive briefing from Major Gen Godwin Mutkut, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division and Commander Joint Taskforce (North West) Operation HADARIN DAJI (OPHD), who said “we don’t bomb civilians in our operations, we take precautionary measures to ensure we avoid civilian casualties”.
He further stated, ” the reason why we carry out these operations in the first place is to protect civilians so that they can go about their businesses , that civilian population are central to our operations, for that we try as much as possible to make sure that these civilians don’t mix with the bandits to ensure they don’t stray into bandits area”.
Saying, “we go as far as protecting them in their farms. We had a program last year where we protected civilians in their farmland. We rotated it among communities so we can have more men to protect them. That yielded a lot of results and also led to bumper harvest. I think it’s something that is worthy of emulation by others. At all times the civilians are the key people that we protect”.
The briefing covered a wide range of topics, including the operational responsibilities of 8 Division and OPHD, ongoing operational activities, inter-agency cooperation, Civil Military Cooperation activities, troops welfare, as well as achievements and challenges.
After the briefing, the Correspondents proceeded to Headquarters 8 Division Garrison, where they were warmly received by Commander Brig Gen Alex Tawasimi.
The Commander accompanied the Correspondents to the hinterland Forward Operating Bases within Sector 3 Sokoto, where they had the opportunity to interact with rescued kidnapped victims and engage with local communities.
The next leg of the visit took the team to Gusau, Zamfara State, the location of the Headquarters of Operation HADARIN DAJI. where they engaged with local communities to gain insights into the impact of military operations in their areas and assess the sentiments of the local population.
The media outreach/visit was aimed to provide the Defence Correspondents with first hand experiences and insights into the operational activities and impact of the military in the region.
It also served as an opportunity to foster greater understanding and communication between the military and the media.
