Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai has charged troops participating in “Operation Crocodile Smile two” to be more aggressive in ridding off criminals in their operational areas.

Buratai, who gave the charge while addressing troops of 65 and Special Forces Battalions at the Tactical Headquarters, Sector 1 in Epe, Lagos urged them to also maintain high standard of discipline, saying the exercise was meant to train them to be more proficient.

“The report from the Sector Commander is impressive. Your welfare and logistics would be provided.

“I appreciate your efforts and I know all of you have participated in one exercise or the other,” Buratai reiterated.

Buratai was briefed on arrival by Brigadier-General Elias Attu, on the successes and constraints of the ongoing Operation.

Buratai also called for alternative sourcing of funds for Army budget, saying various operations being carried out by the service, had made it more difficult to manage the inadequate budgetary allocation.

Earlier in his opening address, the Army’s Acting Chief of Accounts and Budget, Brigadier -General Ezra Jakko, said the Army would explore new budget windows, as being done in countries like Turkey and Egypt.

Also, Buratai, as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility of the army and to galvanise seamless Civil-Military cooperation gave customised “Crocodile Smile two” notebooks to the Royal Highness, Oba Abdulrafiu Balogun, the Elejirin of Ejirin of Epe.

Balogun, who expressed appreciation on the visit of the Army Chief to his domain, said the presence of the army had helped in making them sleep with their two eyes closed, saying kidnappers made the town a piece of hell before the exercise began.

He appealed to Buratai to have a permanent army base in his kingdom, stressing that they would make land available to the army to build a barrack for the troops.