Nigerian Army has renamed its counterterrorism operation in the Northeast, Operation Lafiya Dole to Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK).
A statement by army spokesperson, Brig.-General Mohammed Yerima on Saturday said the name change was approved by the Chief of Army Staff Lt.-General Ibrahim Attahiru.
This is the second time the army would rename the counterinsurgency operation within six years.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE recalled that the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-General Tukur Buratai changed the name from Operation Zaman Lafiya Dole to Operation Lafiya Dole at 103 Battalion Nigerian Army based in Konduga, Borno State, in July 2015, shortly after he was appointed the COAS.
He said the reason was to rejig and add renewed vigour to the fight against terrorism and insurgency in the North East.
The statement said the change was “premised on the fact that the Nigerian Army (NA) has made a lot of progress over the years and needs to re-align for better efficiency.
“Also affected by the re-designation are the Army Super Camps which now reflect the nomenclature of the formations and units followed by the name of the locations they occupy while sub-units are redesigned as Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) followed by the name of their locations. All these changes are with immediate effect.
“The renaming is in line with the COAS Vision of having ‘A Nigerian Army that is Repositioned to Professionally Defeat all Adversaries in a Joint Environment”.
“It is the belief of the COAS that the complete defeat of insurgency is a process that requires the participation of the entire nation using all elements of national power. He further assured that the NA under his leadership will continue to pursue the path of jointness in the counterinsurgency war.”
