COAS seeks wide-ranging collaboration to protect nation’s territory

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has called for broad-spectrum collaborative effort  in addressing the contentious issues of how armies can better protect the nation’s  territory.

Lagbaja said this while presenting a paper at the symposium on “Peace, Security and the Commitment of the Youth”, organised by the French Army, at the Golf de Cicé-Blossac in Rennes, France.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement on Sunday, said the event was hosted by the French Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Schill Pierre.

Lagbaja spoke on the topic, “Armies and the Protection of their National Territory: Legal Framework, Issues and Challenges” at the event attended by 12 other chiefs of national armies across Africa.

He raised concerns on the applicability of local and international laws and conventions in the face of the harrowing struggle against non-state actors and states.

According to him, the actors chose to either ignore or treat the laws with levity.

Speaking the French army chief, Gen. Schill, said the symposium was aimed at enabling the French army exchange its mode of engagement with foreign partners, particularly in Africa.

Schill said the symposium was designed with a view to transiting from solely military to an all encompassing, mutually beneficial approach to relationship cum engagement.

According to Gen. Nwachukwu, Lagbaja and his Ivorian counterpart were the only foreign delegates that were granted the honour of presenting papers at the symposium.

He said that the COAS was accompanied by the Commandant Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Maj.-Gen. John Ochai and other members of his delegation.

“They later attended the commissioning ceremony of cadets into the French Army at the Saint-Cyr Military Academy, Coetquida.

“The NDA Commandant also initiated bilateral engagements on cadets training on the side-line of the symposium,’’ Nwachukwu said.