By Victor Akaa
The outgoing Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, has reassured the public that the military has their back, saying as the new year mantra goes “dey for who dey for you“ the military is always there for Nigerians.
In his emotional farewell address at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, General Buba expressed his gratitude to the Defence Correspondents for their cooperation and professional reporting on the military’s efforts against terrorism, banditry, and other security threats across the country. He noted that his successful tenure was made possible by their commitment and support.
General Buba also thanked the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for the opportunity to serve as Director Defence Media Operations and for providing him with the necessary backing to achieve his goals.
With a sense of pride, General Buba reflected on his time as Director, saying he had made a lasting impact and “came, saw, and conquered” in his role.
Some journalists, including Kingsley Omonobi , Odita Sunday and Solomon Adeniyi extolled General Buba’s innovative approach, which made their work easier and more seamless.
They appreciated his inclusive leadership style, which made everyone feel valued, and commended his welfare packages, such as the media tours that allowed them to assess military operations firsthand.
The journalists wished General Buba well in his future endeavours, acknowledging the positive impact he had during his tour of duty.
Enugu Reporters gathered that General Buba’s farewell address was a testament to the strong relationships he built with the media and the military, and his legacy will likely be remembered for his commitment to transparency and cooperation.
Earlier, General Buba highlighted on the milestone achievements recorded by the military within the week across all theatres of operations.
He said the Joint Task Force Operation HADIN KAI in the North East neutralized 76 terrorists, arrested 72 suspects, and rescued 8 kidnapped hostages, while also recovering various weapons and ammunition, while troops of the Joint Task Force Operation FANSAN YAMMA in the North West neutralized 64 terrorists, arrested 69 persons, and rescued 62 kidnapped hostages, in addition to recovering various weapons and ammunition.
According to him, the Joint Task Force Operation SAFE HAVEN in the North Central region neutralized 7 terrorists, arrested 56 persons, and rescued 33 kidnapped hostages, and also recovered various weapons and ammunition. Also troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE in the North Central region arrested 14 violent extremists and rescued 9 kidnapped hostages.
In the South South zone, General Buba noted that troops of the Joint Task Force Operation DELTA SAFE, recovered 705,294 litres of stolen crude oil, destroyed 48 crude oil cooking ovens, 10 dugout pits, 28 boats, 56 storage tanks, and 46 illegal refining sites, and apprehended 29 suspected oil thieves and violent extremists, while also recovering various weapons and ammunition.
He said the Joint Task Force Operation UDO KA in the South East neutralized 9 terrorists, arrested 19 violent extremists, and rescued 16 kidnapped hostages, and recovered various weapons and ammunition.
