As part of efforts to check intruders into their barracks, the Commander of Onitsha Military Cantonment, Col. Mohammad Bello, has warned members of the public to steer clear of the Onitsha Military Cantonment.

Bello gave the warning while addressing executives of landlords’ associations of communities surrounding the cantonment yesterday in Onitsha, Anambra State, saying that soldiers would not condone wanton trespassing into the barracks.

He noted: “Henceforth anybody scaling the perimeter fence of the cantonment at anytime of the day would be shot and handed over to the police. Also inform your children, neighbours and tenants to stop throwing refuse into the cantonment.

“We do not want to witch-hunt anybody; that is why we have taken it upon ourselves to monitor hard drug use around us, those caught would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and any soldier caught would be summarily dismissed because the Nigerian Army does not condone such indiscipline.”

According to Col. Bello, “the meeting was called for us to work together and foster harmonious relationship,” even as he insisted that insisting that if a child or a youth is caught, his or her guardian would be dealt with.

The commander said that the authorities had started surveillance on people using hard drugs within the communities close to the cantonment, reminding them on the need to be vigilant always and promptly report any suspicious movement or object to the army authorities.

He observed that commercial motorcycle operators have thrown caution over board, saying that any operator found outside, after 7pm would be arrested and handed over to the police for violating the state government ban on Okada from operating beyond 7pm.

•Text courtesy of The Guardian. Photo shows Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah.