…Promises Technology-Driven Warfare and Improved Troop Welfare
By Peter Salami
Nigeria’s newly confirmed Chief of Army Staff, Major General Waidi Shaibu, has vowed to take the battle directly to bandits and terrorists across the country, promising a more aggressive, intelligence-led, and technology-driven approach to tackling insecurity.
Speaking during his Senate screening on Wednesday before his confirmation alongside three other service chiefs, Shaibu declared that the Nigerian Army under his command would “deal decisively” with all forms of terrorism, banditry, and criminality threatening the nation’s peace.
“The Nigerian Army will deal decisively with bandits and terrorists wherever they are. We will not allow them to gain ground or threaten the sovereignty of this country,” he said. “Our operations will be intelligence-based, technology-supported, and people-centered. We will strengthen coordination across all security agencies to ensure total victory.”
The battle-hardened general, who once commanded troops in Borno State during intense counterinsurgency operations, recalled his role in weakening Boko Haram and restoring stability to key parts of the North-East. “We defeated Boko Haram insurgents in 2015, and a significant number of terrorists surrendered during my tenure,” he told senators. “For the past five years, I have been deeply involved in missions that led to the decimation of many terrorist cells.”
Shaibu also outlined plans to improve troops’ welfare, professionalism, and morale, noting that effective management of resources would be a priority. “Security is not cheap,” he admitted, “but we will ensure that every available resource is used efficiently. We will also prioritise welfare, training, and discipline, because a motivated soldier is an effective soldier.”
The Senate, after a two-hour closed-door session, unanimously confirmed Shaibu and his colleagues following extensive questioning on their strategies to strengthen intelligence coordination, modernise military operations, and rebuild public confidence in the armed forces.
Also confirmed were Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Rear Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Marshal Kelvin Aneke as Chief of Air Staff. Their confirmation followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s request for the Senate’s approval of his new security team, appointed earlier this month to spearhead a renewed fight against insecurity.
During his own presentation, the new CDS, Lieutenant General Oluyede, warned that the country’s security challenges would persist if the government failed to manage information effectively. “Our insecurity challenges will persist if we fail to manage information,” he said. “We must adopt a whole-of-society approach, ensuring that citizens, media, and security agencies work together to safeguard the nation.”
Oluyede emphasised the importance of local defence innovation, resource optimisation, and inter-agency collaboration. “It requires sleepless nights and total dedication,” he noted. “Nigeria must build its capacity to confront emerging threats, from terrorism to cybercrime.”
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, after the confirmations, commended the new service chiefs for their professionalism and depth of experience, urging them to translate their words into concrete results. “The expectations of Nigerians are high,” Akpabio said. “We believe you will deliver.”