In a momentous event held at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, graced the Opening Ceremony of Exercise Haske Biyu 2024 as a Special Guest of Honour.
The opening ceremony, which took place on Monday, 11 March 2024, marked the commencement of the training exercise focusing on Internal Security and Low-Intensity Conflict operations in Nigeria.
Expressing his gratitude to the Commandant of the College for the invitation, the Comptroller-General emphasized the importance of joint collaboration among law enforcement agencies.
He stated, “The importance of joint and multi-agency collaboration in internal security and low-intensity conflict operations amongst law enforcement agencies and the military cannot be over-emphasized.”
Highlighting the objectives of Exercise Haske Biyu, the Comptroller-General remarked, “The objective of Exercise ‘Haske Biyu’ is to broaden your individual and collective knowledge and understanding of military operations other than war with emphasis on internal security and counter-insurgency operations.”
The CGC, who highlighted the launch of the ‘Securite Par Collaboracion’ project in 2016 as a response to the heightened insurgency in the Northwest region, underscored the significance of such exercises in fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders.
Drawing attention to the impact of current security trends on Customs operations, the Comptroller-General stated, “The impact of the current security trends has also been felt on Customs, especially as the gatekeepers of the Nation.”
He also expressed optimism that the three weeks of training will equip the participants to delve into conflict resolution and management mechanisms, adding, “I would like to emphasize that you all consider the use of soft power as an effective tool for termination of conflicts.”
Speaking further, the Comptroller-General outlined the broader significance of initiatives like Exercise ‘Haske Biyu’ in fostering collaborative engagements and strengthening national security.
He stated, “Initiatives like these should benefit not just the participants but, like other joint engagements, should be seen as an opportunity to foster collaborative engagements in promoting inter-agency relationships to strengthen our National security.”
He also urged participants to maintain security consciousness and assured them of support in reporting any observed security issues, “I wish you all a successful and worthwhile stay in Jaji. It is, therefore, my singular honour and privilege to formally declare Exercise ‘Haske Biyu’ 2024 open.” he added.
Earlier, the Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji Air Vice Marshal Hassan Idris Alhaji, applauded the level of synergy that exists between the Nigeria Customs Service and the military, which resulted in paving the way for the CGC to play the role of Special Guest of Honour at the opening of Exercise Haske Biyu 2024.
The commandant, in his speech, vowed to use the significant platform for knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and the development of strategic frameworks aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s internal security and counter-insurgency capabilities.
He raised concern over the current security situation in some parts of the country and expressed optimism that
the new approach will address the common problems in Nigeria, “That is why we have this range of stakeholders participating in this exercise.” he said.
He added, “It is therefore expected that this exercise will enable the participants to build their capacity as well as understand their limitations and how best they can address those as best as possible.
As representatives from the various stakeholders, you participants ought to take maximum advantage of the opportunity created by the exercise for self-improvement.”
He also urged them to pay attention to the exercise and provide practical and workable solutions to problems associated with internal security.
