CDS Warns: Security Fight Beyond Military Might
CDS: Armed Forces Overstretched
THE Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has declared that Nigeria’s Armed Forces cannot single-handedly resolve the country’s protracted insecurity, urging urgent strengthening of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to sustain recent gains against insurgency and banditry.
Oluyede made the remarks on Tuesday during the 2025 budget performance review and defence of the 2026 defence proposal at the National Assembly in Abuja. He told lawmakers that while the military has cleared several territories of criminal elements, holding and stabilising such areas requires institutions with deeper community penetration and larger personnel strength.
“If these institutions are strengthened, they can effectively hold and secure territories where the Armed Forces have succeeded,” he said, noting that sustained security demands a layered approach beyond combat operations.
New Deployments to Flashpoints
Providing an update on the security situation, the CDS disclosed that special forces would be deployed to Kwara State and parts of Niger State to address a recent spike in violent incidents. He also confirmed additional deployments to Benue and Plateau states, where communal clashes and armed attacks persist.
A new Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Savannah Shield, is set to cover Kwara and sections of Niger State. According to Oluyede, troops and resources are being drawn from other theatres to reinforce the operation.
“In the North-East, the situation has improved significantly. However, serious challenges remain in the North-West and parts of the North-Central,” he said, adding that the Armed Forces were evolving strategies within available resources.
He cautioned that constant redeployment of troops across theatres has strained personnel, citing limited manpower, welfare concerns and logistical burdens. “The soldiers hardly have rest because we don’t have the numbers,” he said.
Intelligence Partnerships and Sovereignty
Oluyede further revealed that Nigeria is collaborating with allied nations to improve intelligence gathering and operational effectiveness. However, he emphasised that such partnerships are being carefully managed to safeguard national sovereignty.
“Our partners have been helpful, particularly in intelligence, but collaborations are streamlined in line with presidential directives to ensure sovereignty is not compromised,” he said.
Lawmakers Demand Measurable Outcomes
Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Rep. Babajimi Benson, stressed that Nigeria’s security challenges cannot be resolved through kinetic operations alone. He called for complementary non-kinetic measures, institutional reforms, and smarter resource allocation.
“No nation can make sustainable progress without guaranteeing the safety of lives and property,” Benson said, adding that increased budgetary allocations must translate into measurable improvements in security.
He emphasised transparency and accountability, warning against “input-focused budgeting without commensurate impact.” According to him, Nigerians expect safer communities and restored confidence in governance.
The lawmaker advocated a whole-of-government and whole-of-society strategy, including investments in cyber defence, border technology, community peacebuilding, intelligence infrastructure and inter-agency data fusion centres.
Police, NSA Push Joint Security Architecture
Meanwhile, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigeria Police Force underscored the importance of sustained joint operations and intelligence sharing as pillars of Nigeria’s evolving security framework.
Speaking at a National Economic Council (NEC) session in Abuja, Defence Minister Gen. Christopher Musa, representing the National Security Adviser, said insecurity and economic stagnation often reinforce each other.
He noted that since 2023, the Federal Government has intensified efforts to harmonise operational mandates, improve intelligence synchronisation and align security planning with development goals under the Renewed Hope National Development Plan 2026–2030.
“Sustainable security is not achieved by force alone. Intelligence fusion, coordination and technology must work together with governance and development,” Musa stated.
Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, represented by DIG Frank Mba, echoed the call for collaboration. He said joint training exercises and shared intelligence platforms are strengthening national capacity to counter interconnected criminal networks.
“Our priority is collective progress, not competition,” Mba said, stressing that modern crime patterns require predictive, data-driven policing.
A Call for Collective Responsibility
Security chiefs agreed that lasting peace depends on public trust, community engagement and seamless coordination among federal, state and local institutions.
As Nigeria prepares its 2026 security budget, the message from defence and law enforcement leaders is clear: military operations must be reinforced by strong policing, intelligence-driven coordination, and governance reforms to secure sustainable national stability.
