Oriire abduction: Army to use Old Oyo Park as training centre – GOC 2Div

The Nigerian Army has announced plans to turn the Old Oyo National Park in Oyo State into a training centre following the abduction and subsequent rescue of pupils, children and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Auwalu Mahmuda, disclosed this on Wednesday when he received members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, at the division’s headquarters in Odogbo, Ibadan.

Mahmuda said the military had taken over the national park following an order from the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shuaibu, directing the 2 Division to use the facility as a training ground.

He said the development followed the rescue of victims abducted in the Oriire area, adding that the military’s presence in the park would help prevent kidnappers and other criminals from using the vast forest as a base for criminal activities.

According to him, the park would effectively become a no-go area for criminal elements operating in the area.

The GOC also stressed the need for stronger collaboration between the media and the military to combat misinformation and fake news.

He said effective efforts to tackle misinformation required a strong partnership between security agencies and the media.

He said, “On the order of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shuaibu, the 2 Division has taken over the entire stretch of the Old Oyo National Park as a training site in order to prevent the repeat of the Oriire kidnap saga.

“With the 2 Division fully utilising the Park, it will be a herculean task for men of the underworld to use it as their hideout.”

Mahmuda urged journalists to always verify information with the military before making it available to the public, warning that unverified information can cause irreparable damage and more harm than good.

He reassured the press that the Nigerian Army views them as vital partners in national development, highlighting the dangerous situations journalists brave to provide accurate information to the public.

The GOC promised the Oyo State Correspondents’ Chapel of military support in areas, such as training and medical outreach, especially ahead of their upcoming Press Week.

The GOC maintained that misinformation and fake news can only be reduced or eliminated when the media work together with the military and verify information they received before publishing or broadcasting it.

“I will appeal to you to avoid publishing information without first confirming its exact and true nature with the military. Sometimes, when unverified information is released, it can cause more harm than the information it intended to address,”he said.

Mahmuda lamented that some journalists failed to verify information at their disposal before publishing them, adding that misinformation spread faster than expected and cause irreparable damage.

“I want to reassure you that the Nigerian Army sees journalists as partners, but they are also expected to play their part in demonstrating clearly that they are partners of the Nigerian Army,” he said.

Mahmuda, however, commended members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ, for highlighting the Division’s activities and contributions to national development.

“We are all Nigerians, irrespective of the fact that some of us wear uniforms. I believe that, whatever we are doing, we are all working towards the success and development of this country,”he said.

The GOC appealed for stronger collaboration in enlightening the public on the efforts of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in tackling insecurity in the country.

“I have seen journalists go to places where other civilians dare to set their foot. They put themselves in difficult and dangerous situations simply to obtain accurate information that can be shared with the public”, he said.

The Chairman of the chapel, Mr. Yinka Adeniran, commended the 2 Division for its relentless efforts in maintaining security, specifically highlighting the successful rescue of the Oriire kidnap victims.

He then appealed for support of the Division on the forthcoming Press Week of the chapel in areas of lecture and health outreach for members, among others.