A Nigerian Army Headquarters (AHQ) Operations Assessment Team conducted a three-day visit to Headquarters 3 Division to review Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) and the broader joint operating environment.
The delegation, led by Major General Koko Isoni, Director of Customs, Ethics and Tradition Research at the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, arrived at 3 Division on 21 October 2025 and was received by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 3 Division and Commander OPEP, Major General Folusho Oyinlola.
According to a statement on the visit by Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations (3 Division Nigerian Army), Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, “the assessment began with an operations brief that outlined the OPEP’s history, evolution, current threats, successes, and ongoing challenges within the joint operations area.”
In his remarks, Major General Isoni underscored that the visit is part of a directive from the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) for periodic on-the-spot assessments of various theatres of operation to enhance overall operational effectiveness. “Our visit today is an opportunity to engage with and feel the pulse of the operation on the ground,” he said.
He commended the dedication of 3 Division troops and OPEP in combating criminality and insecurity on the Plateau, praising OPEP for notable achievements and relative stability in the joint operations area while urging Commanders and staff officers to redouble efforts to achieve the mission objectives.
Addressing the operations concerns, Major General Isoni noted that the challenges are longstanding and will be addressed in sequence, with findings to be relayed to the COAS for timely action.
In response, the GOC 3 Division and Commander of OPEP, Major General Oyinlola, expressed gratitude for the visit and described it as a constructive opportunity to articulate operational challenges and potential solutions.
The GOC highlighted manpower shortages and logistics as major constraints, while pointing to deep-rooted inter-community tensions and illegal mining as key triggers for crises in the State.
He stressed that achieving security in the Plateau requires a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic measures, with political solutions playing a central role in mitigating inter-communal clashes within the joint operating environment.
“Peace is only achievable if all conflicting parties are willing to reconcile,” he stated.
Despite the hurdles, Major General Oyinlola noted that the 3 Division and OPEP have recorded commendable successes in ongoing operations and thanked the COAS for ongoing support to the Division and OPEP, urging the team to relay challenges to higher authorities to facilitate prompt action.
The key highlights of the visit included the operations brief, presentation of souvenirs, signing of the visitors’ book, and a group photograph.
The assessment team then proceeded to Bokkos and Barkin Ladi for engagements with front-line troops to gauge on-ground realities.
