Military Donates Relief Materials to IDPs in Plateau 

Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), a Special Military Task Force, maintaining peace in Plateau and environs, has donated relief materials to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Mangu Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau.

Presenting the items on Tuesday in Mangu, Maj.-Gen. Abdusalam Abubakar, Commander of OPSH, said the gesture was part of its non-kinetic approach to its peace building efforts.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that many people were killed, houses and farmlands destroyed in recent attacks in several communities in Mangu.

Abubakar, who sympathised with the victims over the incidents, assured them of the commitment of the military and other security agencies toward ensuring the return of lasting peace to the locality and the state in general.

He explained that the donation was aimed at cushioning the hardship being experienced by the displaced people in the locality.

 ”I am full of empathy standing here in your midst to donate these items as part of our non-kinetic line of operation, to cushion the effect of the avoidable, unfortunate and barbaric incidents in the past, which subsequently led to your displacement.

”We are obliged to secure lives and property of citizens as part of our constitutional role and provide succour through our non-kinetic approach to winning the hearts and minds of the populace.

”Therefore, the importance of providing essential resources to promote your well-being and help restore your living condition is not far-fetched as part of our Civil Military Cooperation activities.

”We believe that poverty and hunger are catalyst to crisis, thus the Armed Forces is taking the initiative to donate these basic food items for your consumption.

”This donation, I believe, will alleviate the condition of your stay as we assiduously work toward your relocation back to your ancestral homes,”he said.

The commander thanked the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja,  for his support toward the peace building efforts in the locality and state in general.

He also commended the state government for its support to the security agencies in their bid toward the actualisation of lasting peace in the state.

Earlier, Mr Markus Artu, the Transition Committee Chairman of Mangu, thanked the commander for gesture and assured him that the items would be distributed to the direct beneficiaries.

NAN reports that some of the items donated include bags of rice, beans, garri, packets or salt, cartons of noodles, cooking oil, among others.

(NAN)