A pressure group, Coalition of Civil Society for Peace and Good Governance (COSPAG), on Sunday commended the Commander of the Special Military Task Force codenamed Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), in charge of Plateau, Bauchi, and Southern Kaduna, Maj Gen Anthony Atolagbe, for effective security strategies which are currently yielding positive results around the areas.

The Executive Director of the COSPAG, Dr Christopher Yakubu, made the commendation in a statement in Jos at the end of two weeks peace advocacy tour to communities in Southern Kaduna, Plateau and Bauchi States on the need for peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders in their communities.

He said: “For once, we are very impressed with what we gathered from the communities about the conduct of men of the OPSH which they described as now cordial and professional. They patrol the communities on regular basis and even provide both cover for farmers and herdsmen to go about their normal businesses.

“We also saw the new approach adopted in a more professional way by the Commander of OPSH and his men, they moved beyond peace enforcement to conflict resolution and confidence building among the communities. Our team also noticed a fresh deployment of counter-terrorist experts on power bikes in remote areas of some communities that vehicles could not ordinarily access.

“There were strategic check points manned by men of OPSH at some unimaginable locations that have not witnessed any presence of security in the past. There was also the gradual return of civil military/relationship in all the areas we visited. This is the kind of effectiveness and synergy we want to see on the part of the security.

“They must go beyond the barrel of gun to the very issues that are causing these conflicts so that they can be nipped in the bud. We in the civil society will continue to engage the communities for peaceful coexistence and more cordial relationship with our security agencies, because we cannot win the war against terror without total confidence on the ability of our security operatives.”