Army, Quarantine Service Partner on Operation Egwu Eke 111

The Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) have agreed to collaborate towards the success of the nationwide Operation codenamed  EGWU EKE III.
The development is contained in a statement signed by the NAQS’s Head of Media, Communications and Strategies, Dr Gozie Nwodo and made available to Economic Confidential in Abuja.
The Operation is designed to checkmate a gamut of security threats –stockpiling of arms by non-state actors, terrorism, militancy, kidnapping, banditry and criminal activities of dissident groups – which collectively represents real and present dangers to the peace and prosperity of people and government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Although our core mandate of NAQS is to promote and regulate sanitary and phytosanitary measures in connection with the import and export of agricultural products with a view to minimizing the risk to agricultural economy, food safety and the environment, it is beyond contestation that security is a precondition for the progress of the activities that are within the purview of the NAQS.
“Furthermore, the status of NAQS as a paramilitary agency makes the Agency obligated to contribute to the efforts of Law Enforcement to guarantee the security of lives and property when we are invited to participate” said the Director General of NAQS Dr Vincent Isegbe in a recent meeting with the Nigerian Army.
“This is why the leadership of the Nigerian Army deemed it fit to solicit our collaboration on this exercise”, he said.
In the light of the foregoing, the Director General has committed to the collaboration of NAQS with the Nigerian Army and other sister agencies on EXERCISE EGWU EKE III. Therefore, all the Zones and stations of NAQS are hereby directed by the DG to cooperate with the respective Nigerian Army formations on the Exercise.
Th agency also said that the collaboration will go a long way in cementing the longstanding relationship between the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service as well as solidify the basis for our joint engagements on other fronts, going forward.