The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, on Tuesday, restated the commitment of the Nigerian Army to defend the nation’s choice of government, democracy.

Addressing participants at a seminar on career planning and management organised by the Army headquarters, the COAS said the Army has no plans to truncate democracy in the country.

He charged officers of the Nigerian Army to remain above board in the discharge of their professional duties.

“Permit me to seize this opportunity to reiterate that the Armed Forces of Nigeria, particularly the Nigerian Army has come to terms with the country’s choice of democracy as the preferred system of governance,” he said during his address to officers.

“We are therefore agents of democracy and have no desire to truncate it. The Nigerian Army will continue to defend our constitution and not suspend it for whatever reason.

“It is the duty of our elected leaders to lead while the military does its job as enshrined in our constitution. Nigerian Army personnel must therefore remain professional and be above board as they discharge their constitutional duties.”

The commitment by the COAS followed the series of putsches in West and Central Africa which have experienced at least seven military takeovers in the last four years.

Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and most recently, Niger Republic — all members of the Economic Community of Western African States ( ECOWAS) — have pulled out from the regional bloc in last four years. Outside of West Africa, Chad and Sudan also experienced military coups in 2021.

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has warned against advocating for a coup due to economic hardship, emphasizing patience and the superiority of democracy.

He made this known on Thursday while speaking with journalists at the Nigerian Army 6 Division Headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, after commissioning some building projects.

General Musa urged individuals promoting military takeover to cease such statements.

The Chief of Defence Staff had earlier commissioned the newly constructed Entrance Gate and Officers Transit Accommodation at the 6 Division Headquarters.

Protests have occurred in Ogun, Oyo, Kano, Niger and some parts of the country in the last few weeks over the hardship experienced in the country as Nigerians lament food inflation, high cost of living, amongst other harsh living conditions occasioned by the removal of petrol subsidy, forex crisis, amongst others.

Nigeria security chiefs on Tuesday gave an indication of intensive patrol of the nation’s borders in a bid to tackle security challenges in the country.

Specifically, the security chiefs said more men will be deploy to the nation’s borders.

There was also an assurance from the ministry of finance that more funds will be released expeditiously to purchase sophisticated equipment to fight insecurity.

Worried by the insecurity in the country, the Nigerian Senate summoned the Service Chiefs, Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawale, Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam and Minister of Interior Tunji Ojo.

Rising from 9 hours meeting, the senate expressed concern about insecurity, saying it was affecting food supply and other aspect of the economy.

Briefing newsmen shortly after the close session, Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Sen. Yemi Adaramodu said

the security chiefs answered questions posed them satisfactory.

“We got assurance from the security chiefs that the border patrol will be intensified and that the borders must be manned by more men”.

He said one of the major resolutions was to urge the Federal Government to make citizenship registration in Nigeria, compulsory.

“We also spoke about standardization, authentication and unification of the nation’s identity system via NIN and BVN” Adaramodu added.