The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has been described as a veritable partner in efforts to maintain internal security by the Armed Forces.
The Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Air Vice Marshal Hassan Idris Alhaji at the Opening Ceremony of Exercise Haske Biyu 24 at Jaji, applauded the synergy between the Nigeria Customs Service and the military.
AVM Alhaji said the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi was invited on merit to play the role of Special Guest of Honour at the opening of Exercise Haske Biyu 2024.
The commandant described the opportunity as a platform for knowledge-sharing, collaboration and the development of strategic frameworks aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s internal security and counter-insurgency capabilities.
He raised concern over the current security situation in some parts of the country and expressed optimism that the new approach will address the common problems plaguing the country. “That is why we have this range of stakeholders participating in this exercise,” he said.
“It is therefore expected that this exercise will enable the participants to build their capacity as well as understand their limitations and how best they can address those as best as possible.
“As representatives from the various stakeholders, participants ought to take maximum advantage of the opportunity created by the exercise for self-improvement,” said AVM Alhaji.
He also urged them to pay attention to the exercise and provide practical and workable solutions to problems associated with internal security.
CGS Adeniyi expressed gratitude to the Commandant of the College for the invitation, even as he emphasized the importance of joint collaboration among law enforcement agencies.
“The importance of joint and multi-agency collaboration in internal security and low-intensity conflict operations amongst law enforcement agencies and the military cannot be over-emphasized,” said the CGS.
He described Exercise ‘Haske Biyu’ as an avenue to broaden individual and collective knowledge and understand military operations other than war, with emphasis on internal security and counter-insurgency operations.
The CGC, who highlighted the launch of the ‘Securite Par Collaboracion’ project in 2016 as a response to the heightened insurgency in the Northwest region, underscored the significance of such exercises in fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders.
Drawing attention to the impact of current security trends on Customs operations, the Comptroller-General said: “The impact of the current security trends has also been felt on Customs, especially as the gatekeepers of the Nation.”
He also expressed optimism that the three weeks of training will equip the participants to delve into conflict resolution and management mechanisms, adding, “I would like to emphasize that you all consider the use of soft power as an effective tool for termination of conflicts.”
In his view: “Initiatives like these should benefit not just the participants but, like other joint engagements, should be seen as an opportunity to foster collaborative engagements in promoting inter-agency relationships to strengthen our National security.”
The commandant vowed to use the significant platform for knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and the development of strategic frameworks aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s internal security and counter-insurgency capabilities.
The opening ceremony, which took place on Monday, 11 March 2024, marked the commencement of the training exercise focusing on Internal Security and Low-Intensity Conflict operations in Nigeria.
