…New Joint Task Force for Kwara, Niger as Air Force Pledges ‘Overwhelming AirPower’
By Abu Adamu
The Federal Government has recalibrated its war on terror with the deployment of a new Joint Special Task Force, codenamed Operation Savannah Shield, and a renewed directive for intensified aerial bombardments across insurgency-prone regions.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, disclosed at the 2026 budget defence session before the House of Representatives Committee on Defence that the Defence Headquarters is set to roll out the new operation to flush out terrorists operating in Kwara State and parts of Niger State.
According to Oluyede, while security conditions have improved significantly in the North-East, persistent threats in the North-West and North-Central zones have necessitated fresh operational adjustments.
“A new set of special forces were trained and drafted to Benue and Plateau; we are about to deploy another joint task force that will cover Kwara and some parts of Niger to ensure that things get better, and it will be named Savannah Shield,” he said.
He confirmed that a Joint Task Commander has already been appointed and that resources are being redeployed from other formations to ensure full operational coverage of the affected axis.
The CDS, however, admitted that the armed forces alone cannot secure Nigeria’s vast landmass, calling for strengthened collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other sister agencies.
“Security is everybody’s concern,” Oluyede stressed, urging citizens to support intelligence gathering and refrain from aiding criminal elements.
He assured lawmakers that within available resources, the military is evolving new modalities to checkmate emerging threats while safeguarding citizens and investor confidence.
In a parallel development, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has ordered intensified air operations nationwide, directing Air Component Commanders to sustain relentless, intelligence-driven assaults against insurgent and terrorist networks.
At a high-level operational review meeting in Abuja, Aneke reaffirmed the Nigerian Air Force’s resolve to project “overwhelming airpower” in support of ground troops and joint operations.
“We must dominate the operational space through superior coordination, innovation, and unwavering professionalism,” the CAS charged. “Every sortie, every mission, and every decision must move us closer to total security restoration.”
He described the meeting as a critical warfighting review forum aimed at closing operational gaps, aligning strategies with evolving threats, and accelerating peace restoration across all theatres.
While praising commanders and troops for degrading insurgent capabilities and disrupting hostile networks, Aneke warned that the security environment remains fluid and demands constant adaptation.
He directed deeper intelligence-led missions, enhanced inter-agency coordination, exploitation of modern surveillance technologies, standardised training, predictive maintenance of platforms, and rapid logistics support to sustain operational tempo.
“The NAF stands as a shield over the nation. We remain vigilant, aggressive against threats, and fully aligned with our constitutional duty to safeguard the country,” he declared.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Rep. Benson Babajimi (APC–Lagos), commended the armed forces for recorded gains but stressed that increased budgetary allocations must translate into measurable outcomes.
“No nation can make sustainable progress without guaranteeing the safety of lives and property,” he said, adding that while kinetic operations remain critical, long-term peace requires a complementary non-kinetic strategy.
Babajimi advocated a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, including investments in strategic communication to counter extremist ideologies, community peacebuilding frameworks, border security technology, cyber defence, police reforms, and inter-agency data fusion centres.
He insisted that the 2026 defence budget must balance “the sword and the ploughshares,” ensuring adequate funding for personnel welfare, modernisation of equipment, intelligence capabilities, logistics sustainability, and elimination of procurement inefficiencies.
As Operation Savannah Shield prepares for deployment and the Air Force ramps up precision strikes, the Federal Government’s recalibrated strategy signals a more coordinated blend of ground offensives, aerial dominance, and institutional reforms aimed at restoring stability across troubled regions.
Military authorities say the renewed push will sustain pressure on insurgent enclaves until lasting peace is secured nationwide.