Army Chief Meets Babangida, Abdulsalami, Pledges Renewed War Against Terrorists

By Yinka Giwa

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Shuaibu Waidi, has pledged a renewed and intensified military campaign against terrorists and other criminal elements threatening peace and stability in Niger State and other parts of the country.

Waidi made the pledge during courtesy visits to former Heads of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, in Minna, as part of his operational tour of the state.

According to a statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, the Army Chief said the Nigerian Army was consolidating its resources, manpower, and expertise, while leveraging modern technology, to confront emerging security threats more effectively.

“We are bringing together all our resources and expertise to address security challenges decisively. Niger State is home to many of us in the Nigerian Army, and we are fully committed to ensuring its peace and stability,” Waidi said.

He explained that his visit to Niger State was also to declare open the 2026 Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Conference and to carry out operational assessments of key military formations, including the 31 Artillery Brigade and the 18 Brigade in Bida.

The COAS said the operational visits were aimed at identifying security gaps and deploying additional troops and equipment to strengthen ongoing operations against terrorists and other criminal groups.

Speaking earlier during a courtesy visit to the Niger State Government House in Minna, Waidi said the Army was deploying available resources and modern technology to improve operational effectiveness and respond proactively to evolving security challenges across the country.

He stressed that sustained collaboration between the military and state governments remained critical to achieving lasting peace and security.

At the opening of the 2026 Doctrine and Training Conference at TRADOC, the Army Chief reaffirmed the military’s resolve to stem the tide of terrorist attacks in Niger State and other parts of Nigeria, in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We will massively increase deployments across the country to make Nigeria safer for all law-abiding citizens. The President has directed that the recent waves of attacks in Niger State and other parts of the country must be curtailed, and we are fully committed to that mandate,” he said.

Waidi added that the Army would ensure all those responsible for recent attacks are apprehended and brought to justice.

In their responses, former Heads of State Babangida and Abdulsalami commended the Army Chief’s leadership and described the Nigerian Army as a professional institution committed to national security.

Niger State Governor Umaru Bago, represented by his deputy, Yakubu Garba, also praised the Nigerian Army for its proactive role and expressed confidence that enhanced collaboration would help overcome the state’s security challenges.