Abuja – The Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Tukur Buratai, said on Friday that the Nigerian Army was on track to effectively respond to emerging challenges associated with protecting the nation’s territory.

Buratai said this while leading serving army personnel in Abuja to participate in the monthly `Route March Exercise.’

He said troops across the country were physically sound and mentally ready to take on any task assigned to them.

 “ The Nigerian Army is back, we are fully back on track; the previous impression should be erased, the Nigerian Army is professional.

“We are re-emphasising training which is very important as we strive to remain professional and this is in line with my vision to have a professionally responsive army.

“The key emphasis here is physical fitness, then mental alertness and spiritual upliftment which are at the core of our operations across the country and the world at large,’’ he said.

Buratai called on all soldiers and officers to strive to maintain an optimal level of physical fitness and mental alertness as the military makes effort to provide security to troubled parts of the country.

Thee military personnel in the FCT participated in the exercise that was also held simultaneously in army formations across the country.

The Abuja exercise kicked off at 6 a.m. from the Aguyi Ironsi Cantonment to the Guards Brigade Polo Club and back to the Cantonment.

The army also alerted the public to the activities of members of some syndicates parading themselves as officers in charge of recruitment into the military.

The Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, gave the warning in Abuja on Friday while parading two suspected fraudsters arrested in Edo.

He said the suspects, both aged 20, were arrested on Aug. 5 in Ekpoma, Edo, following a tip off.

Usman said the suspects were arrested for impersonating senior military officers and dispossessing unsuspecting members of the public of their money in the guise of assisting them gain employment into the army.

He said the suspects had opened a face book account through which they reached out to the public by promising them assistance to join the military for a fee.

“The essence of parading these suspected fraudsters is to serve as deterrent to other persons with similar intentions and to alert the public to avoid falling into their hands.

“The army is once again alerting the public about the criminal activities of the fraudsters and many others.

“We also want to reiterate that members of the public should ignore face book advertisements for recruitment or commission into the Nigerian Army.

”They should rely on the authentic information on the army’s official website,’’ he said.

Usman disclosed that the suspects, both National Diploma graduates of Auchi Polytechnic, also had in their possession incriminating documents such as bank statements and ATM cards.

He said the suspects would be handed over to the police for prosecution as soon as the Special Investigation Bureau of the Nigerian Army concluded its investigations into the matter. (NAN)