By Madu Onuorah
Amid insecurity in its Area of Responsibility (AoR), the deployment of Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) by 3 Division Nigerian Army/Special Task Force Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) has taken a new urgency especially towards achieving mission objectives and protecting the lives and property of civilians.
Unfortunately, the military’s exploits in civil-military relations efforts are lost in the news cycle because they are not as attractive as front page news involving killings, destructions or other conflicts. But the issue of stakeholders’ outreach programmes, which brings together government functionaries, heads of security agencies, religious/traditional leaders, youths/women groups, and civil society organisations have been part of the primary focus of bringing lasting peace and peaceful coexistence within the AoR.
These non-kinetic efforts are directed at fostering trust, cooperation, and understanding between the armed forces and civilian society and involves initiatives such as meeting with stakeholders, providing reliefs as well as infrastructure development. These are crucial to building confidence and shaping cordial relationships in the military’s role of upholding the law and protecting citizens.
For example, on Saturday May 3, 2025, OPSH flagged off the fifth edition of its Peace and Unity Football Tournament in Jos, Plateau State, described by General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division Nigerian Army and Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN, Major General Folusho Oyinlola, as part of the non-kinetic measures to unite people of different ethnic groups within the Joint Operations Area.
The tournament had over the years captured the attention of the local populace, standing in as a tool for social cohesion with General Oyinlola lauding it for enhancing robust civil-military relations as the OPSH continues to explore credible avenues in its quest to bringing permanent peace to troubled communities, fostering peaceful coexistence and improve human relationship.
This is not the first. On April 17, 2025, the 3 GOC 3 Division and OPSH Commander hosted a stakeholders’ engagement at Maxwell Khobe Cantonment Jos aimed at de-escalating tension and preventing further attacks in Plateau State.
It involved stakeholders from seven Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Bassa, Mangu, Jos North, Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Wase and Riyom and had in attendance traditional, religious and community leaders including youth representatives, women leaders and government functionaries.
General Oyinlola told the meeting that the engagement calls for deep action and restoration of peace, emphasising that no provocation could justify the murder of innocent lives and destruction of property, assuring that operational strategies are being reviewed to address the recent unrest and hunt down perpetrators of the dastardly acts, including their collaborators.
At the forum, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Senior Special Adviser on Community Engagement (North-Central), Mrs Abiodun Essiet, said the Federal Government is saddened by the recent loss of lives in some LGAs of the State, describing the causes of the crisis as multidimensional which must be addressed headlong with the collaboration of critical stakeholders. Thanking General Oyinlola for organising the event, the Presidential aide maintained that non-kinetic mechanisms will be strengthened with the effort of government to tackle salient issues that could bring peace to the State.
Some of the stakeholders who spoke at the event charged security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the attacks especially in both Bokkos and Bassa LGAs, urging the State government and OPSH to deploy their machineries to combat the security situation and save the people from further loss. Decrying the increasing proliferation of arms and ammunition, they called on the federal government to mop-up all arms ammunition in the hands of non-state actors.
On April 26, the GOC 3 Division and OPSH Commander presided over the one-day conference attended by stakeholders who came to brainstorm on how to achieve a successful 2025 farming season Sanga LGA of Kaduna State.
General Oyinlola, noting the challenges faced during the farming season including farm destructions and attacks on livestock with reprisals that have degenerated into vicious cycle of violence, said the seminar will address them and proffer practicable solutions to them. It was in continuation to the first edition which led to significant reduction in farmer/herder clashes in the area.
He added, that the seminar will offer the platform for robust dialogue towards fashioning out modalities for a peaceful and successful farming season this year.
Even for troops Operation LAFIYAN JAMA’A on patrol on April 13, they rescued 16 passengers including six children kidnapped along Jos-Mangu road in Plateau State after they discovered an empty vehicle abandoned by the roadside at Mararaban Kantoma in Mangu LGA of the State at about 9pm local time. As part of its process, troops administered first aid to some of the rescued victims who sustained minor injuries during the incident and later escorted the victims to safety to continue their journey to Jos Metropolis.
As part of building confidence, the Plateau State Youth Council paid a familiarisation visit to Headquarters Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) in Jos on April 5, 2025 where they held discussions with the Commander, General Oyinlola. The youths assured the Commander of an open-door policy with OPSH to ensure the objectives of the military are achieved in Plateau State.
The efforts of 3 Division/Operation SAFE HAVEN was boosted when Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede held a robust engagement with community leaders and critical Stakeholders in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State on Monday 7 April 2025 in an effort to find enduring peace in Bokkos and its environ.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Bokkos, the COAS urged the people to embrace one another and unite towards the realisation of peace and security in the state. He noted that without peace and harmony, the state would be devoid of any form of development and progress. General Oluyede pointed out that security forces alone cannot eradicate security threats in the communities without the cooperation and support of the inhabitants.
He called on the people to close ranks with security operatives in the state and collaborate amongst themselves to enhance proactive detection and elimination security threats in their communities in order to avert senseless loss of lives. The COAS assured that the perpetrators of the heinous crime against defenseless civilians would be identified and made to face the full wrath of the law.
And in another significant initiative to strengthen CIMIC, the Army on April 25 inaugurated series of special intervention projects aimed at revitalizing facilities at the Langtang General Hospital in Plateau State in order to bolster healthcare delivery in the region. The projects include replacement of old roofing materials with durable aluminum sheets, installation of modern hospital beds, improved ventilation through new casement windows, provision of mattresses for patient comfort, upgraded sanitation facilities, and the installation of a 3.2KV solar inverter system to ensure consistent power supply. These enhancements are expected to significantly elevate the quality of healthcare services in the Langtang region.
These outreach programmes are commendable as they provide avenues for the different groups and residents to come together as one family, united by shared commitment to peace, security and harmony. This is the only way to ensure safety and prosperity in the various communities in the Joint Operations Area.
These stakeholders’ outreach in emphasizing the need to protect the sanctity of human kind in approach to indiscriminate attacks on human lives. As the military engages its host communities, it is important for Plateau residents to realize that once peace is destabilised, the price to restore it will be enormous.
It is imperative for the communities to embrace the injunction of British Statesman, Winston Churchill, who said in 1954: “To Jaw-Jaw is better than to War-War.” The entrenchment of lessons of the outreach programmes would not only sustain peace and development in the region but also provide the enabling environment for all resident to carry out their duties without fear of conflicts.
As General Oyinlola observed in one of the fora, violence has never solved any problem but rather leads to more pain, destruction, and hate. They therefore must have the moral courage to resist and speak out against those inciting violence, irrespective of their status.
The hope is that these community initiatives will not only improve local infrastructure but also strengthen the ties that bind the military and the residents of Plateau State in a shared pursuit of peace and prosperity.
