Don’t reduce Army to police duties, Reps tell Fed Govt

MEMBERS of the House of Representatives Committee on Nigerian Army on Tuesday warned the Federal Government against reducing the Army to police duties.

This is coming on the heels of an observation by the House that the Army is in 34 of 36 states of the federation performing police duties.

Committee Chairman Namdaz Abdulrazak, who led other members on oversight function to Army installations in Gombe State, spoke during a visit to Deputy Governor Manassah Jatau.

“The Army is in 34 of 36 states, handling one security issue or the other. There is no zone, because only two states are left out settling the issues of armed banditry, cattle rustling, Boko Haram or insurgency.

“So, the hands of the Army are already full. We are of the opinion that we should not reduce the Army to doing police duties. It is police job to solve some of the internal crises. We urge the Federal Government to train and equip the police very well.

“From the little we have seen, the Nigerian Army is prepared to face the challenges given the necessary cooperation by the Federal and state governments.

“Everyone knows that the constitutional role of the Nigerian Army is to protect territorial integrity. Of course, once there are security challenges that are quite beyond the capacity of the police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, under Section 27, sub-section 2, has every right to invite the Army to come and solve some internal crises,” he said.