The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Auwalu Mahmuda, has called for stronger cooperation among the Army, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to tackle security challenges and protect public health.
Mahmuda made the call while receiving the Comptroller of Immigration in Oyo State, Ephraim Ogbemudia, and the South-West Zonal Director of NAFDAC, Dr Isaac Anjorin Kolawole, during separate visits to the division’s headquarters at Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Ibadan.
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He said no agency could effectively address the country’s security challenges in isolation, stressing the need for sustained cooperation, timely intelligence sharing and coordinated operations.
According to him, stronger institutional relationships would improve operational effectiveness and enable the agencies to respond more efficiently to criminal activities.
Mahmuda also urged the visiting officials to maintain cordial relations with host communities, noting that public trust could encourage residents to provide credible information to security agencies.
He assured both organisations of the division’s continued support, describing effective partnerships as essential to protecting life and property.
Earlier, Ogbemudia commended the Army for its efforts to address security challenges in Orire Local Council of Oyo State.
He praised the GOC and troops of the division for their commitment, adding that prevailing security concerns required a coordinated response from relevant agencies.
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The immigration comptroller said his visit was intended to strengthen cooperation in intelligence sharing, border security, enforcement and community relations.
He called for an effective information-sharing platform and urged security agencies to adopt public-friendly approaches that would encourage residents to report suspicious activities without fear.
In his remarks, Kolawole commended the Army for supporting NAFDAC’s regulatory activities, particularly efforts to protect Nigerians from counterfeit medicines, unsafe food products and other substandard regulated goods.
He reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring that medicines, food products and other regulated items met prescribed safety and quality standards.
The zonal director also sought the Army’s continued assistance in enforcing Federal Government regulations, including restrictions on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and certain small-volume plastic bottles.
He said cooperation with security agencies was necessary to strengthen enforcement and improve compliance with the regulations.