Always remain non-partisan, Buratai tells army officers
Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai
NAF unveils forensic lab, trains personnel on crime investigation
As the 2019 general elections draw nearer, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai has charged all army officers to always remain non-partisan under any circumstances. Buratai, who disclosed this while declaring the COAS’ second and third quarter conference 2018 open in Abuja, said any officer who is interested in politics should retire to pursue his political ambition.
He maintained that a Special Court Martial has been established to try defaulters, stressing that as professional soldiers, no army personnel should be sympathetic to any political, religious or ethnic cause.
Speaking further Buratai revealed that Army Women Corps has been established to develop professionally responsive female officers that could be employed to support the army in its operational engagements and other commitments in and outside the country.He explained that the objective is to reorganise the women to derive maximum benefits from their contribution to the country’s defence and security architecture.
“It is also meant to exploit the inherent competencies and capacities of the female soldiers to meet the contemporary security as well as operation environment in line with best military practice. “It will also enable them to aspire to the peak of their career without inhibitions,” he added.
Meanwhile, in furtherance of its efforts to effectively deploy scientific approaches to crime fighting, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commissioned a new Forensic Crime Laboratory at the 057 Provost Investigation Group (057 PIG) in Lagos.
The event also witnessed the commissioning of a newly constructed Headquarters Building for 057 PIG to ensure conducive environment for the NAF Directorate of Air Provost to effectively carry out criminal investigation and train its personnel.Speaking at the commissioning, Guest of Honour, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, commended the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, in providing a befitting and functional facility, while making inroads in the application of forensic policing.
Responding, Abubakar noted that the rapid growth of technology has led to increase in the rate and extent of crimes. He noted that following the expansion of the Force Structure, it became obvious that the service required a law enforcement arm, with capacity to effectively use scientific approach to enhance security and discipline in the service.In this regard, the NAF, in conjunction with its partners from the United Kingdom (UK), trained 16 Provost personnel in the Core Investigative Skills and Interview Techniques, while another set of 16 officers would be concluding the Crime Scene Investigation Course this week.
