Former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, on Thursday, in Abuja, admonished Nigerians to encourage the military in the fight against insurgency.

Obanikoro, who is also the patron of Support our Troops Foundation, a nongovernmental organisation (NGO) said this when the foundation presented some items to troops of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army.

He said the troops currently fighting in the North-East needs all the encouragement in the world to perform optimally adding that anything short of that was unacceptable.

``We are in a state of war, it is not a conventional war, it is a war that is strange to us and it is a war that the boundary is not drawn and it’s a war that for the first time in the history of our nation, we had to struggle and learn from it with a view to putting it behind us, beyond the fact that we are at war,'' he said.

Obanikoro said aside the operation in the North-East, the military was equally engaged in other security activities, in the country and beyond, adding that the nation was very proud of the military records and what they were doing for the country and the foundation’s initiative was to encourage and strengthen them.

He noted that the essence of the foundation’s initiative was to let the military know that they were not alone in the fight and also a way of introducing a culture of showing respect, recognition and identifying with our military men and women in uniform.

`` I don’t know of any service that anybody can give to a nation that is bigger or higher than being willing to pay the supreme sacrifice in the service to humanity and in the service to a nation.

Also speaking, Maj-.Gen. Barry Ndiomu, Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison said the kind gesture of the Support Our Troops Foundation was appreciated by the Army Authority adding that the army was highly honoured by the gesture of giving so much to the troops   in recognition of the enormous sacrifices they were making in the operations in the north- east.

``There is no doubt in our minds that this very kind gesture of yours is very much appreciated by the officers and soldiers as this will go a long way to boost the morale of our soldiers who are out there in the north east.

Items donated include branded t-shirts with inscription ``the Nigerian Hero, slippers, provisions, food items amongst others.