Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede has revealed plans by the military to deploy special forces to Kwara State and parts of Niger State to address the recent surge in insecurity, stressing that the Armed Forces alone could not resolve the challenges.
General Oluyede who made this known while appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Defence for the 2026 budget defence session, assured Nigerians that renewed efforts were underway to address lingering security threats in the Middle Belt, particularly in Benue and Plateau states, where the fight has been taken to terrorists’ hideouts.
The Defence Chief revealed that new special forces had already been deployed to Benue and Plateau states, while a new Joint Task Force, code-named Operation Savannah Shield, would soon be inaugurated to cover Kwara State and parts of Niger State, disclosing that Nigeria was partnering with some allied countries to bridge gaps in intelligence gathering towards safeguarding the country’s sovereignty.
Oluyede told lawmakers that the Armed Forces lacks the manpower to deploy troops everywhere at once as a result of continuous movement of troops from one theatre to another, which has placed enormous strain on personnel.
To address this challenge, he called for adequate training, equipment and deployment of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to areas cleared by the military of criminals towards consolidating on the gains recorded by the Armed Forces in the fight against insurgency and banditry across the country.
Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, in his address said Nigeria’s contemporary security challenges could not be addressed through kinetic approaches alone, stressing that sustainable peace require complementary non-kinetic strategies.
While acknowledging the gains made by the Armed Forces and other security agencies, Benson noted that persistent security threats call for deeper institutional reforms, improved inter-agency collaboration and smarter deployment of scarce resources.
On the 2026 appropriation, the committee chairman noted that the proposals must demonstrate a clear balance between military strength and tools for sustainable peace, reaffirming the House commitment to efforts aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s defence architecture through local defence production, research and development, improved personnel welfare and modernisation anchored on efficiency, transparency and innovation.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
