The Chief of Army Staff, Maj.- Gen. Faruk Yahaya, has urged Nigerians, especially those residing in rural communities, to support the Army in its efforts to ensure peaceful co-existence in the country.

He made the call during a Special Jumu’at Prayers organised at Giginya Barracks, Sokoto, as part of the 2021 Nigerian Army Day Celebrations (NADCEL) on Friday.

Represented by Maj.-Gen. Usman Yusuf, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 8 Division of the Nigerian Army Sokoto, the COAS solicited the support and prayers of Nigerians for the operations being undertaken by the armed forces.

He said the Army day was celebrated to remember the formation of the Nigeria Army as well as remind soldiers and officers of the army’s mandate.

The COAS said the 2021 celebration was unique as prayers were offered for the souls of the departed Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Attahiru Ibrahim, who died alongside other officers in an ill-fated plane crash earlier in the year in Kaduna.

Yahaya said the army would also pray for the repose of the souls of their colleagues who died at different battlefields in the country.

The COAS also urged the general public to support the army as they battled to restore peace and normalcy in parts of the country facing the challenges of banditry, insurgency and insurrection.

He said there was a need to feed the army with timely information that would help them in defending the territorial integrity of the country, rather than collaborating with criminals, as was the case with some citizens, to sabotage its efforts.

According to him, the army needs more personnel to meet the demands of running different operations, as the country was facing rising insecurity from different agitators and insurrections.

He stressed that while recruitments depended on budgetary allocations and available resources, many had expressed interest to join the army in restoring peace in the country.

Earlier, the Imam of the Juma’at Mosque, Maj. Shehu Abdullahi prayed for the success of the operations of the Nigeria army as well as the peace, progress and development of the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that special interdenominational Church service, sanitation exercise and free medical outreach to residents, would be conducted as part of the activities slated for the Army day celebrations. (NAN)