Armed Forces Alone Can’t Solve Nigeria’s Insecurity Challenge — CDS – Independent Newspaper Nigeria

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…Police, NSA Urge Intelligence Sharing, Sustained Joint Operations

ABUJA – The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has stressed that the Armed Forces alone cannot resolve Nigeria’s security challenges, calling for ur­gent strengthening of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to consolidate gains in the fight against insurgency and banditry across the country.

Oluyede made the appeal on Tuesday during the 2025 budget appraisal and defence of the 2026 budget proposal at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja. He noted that the police and civil de­fence, which have larger personnel strength and wider community reach than the military, must be adequately equipped to take over and secure areas already cleared of criminal elements.

“If these institutions are strengthened, they can effectively hold and secure territories where the Armed Forces have succeeded, ensuring that such areas remain safe,” the CDS said.

Providing an overview of the nation’s security situation, Oluyede disclosed that arrangements had been concluded to deploy special forces to Kwara State and parts of Niger State to tackle the recent surge in insecurity.

He also assured Nigerians that renewed efforts were underway to address lingering threats in the Mid­dle Belt, particularly in Benue and Plateau states, by taking the fight directly to insurgents’ hideouts.

“We are doing everything with­in our capacity to ensure that Nige­ria becomes safer.

“As we speak, the situation has improved significantly in the North-East. In the North-West, we still face serious challenges, and the same applies to parts of the North-Central, including Benue, Plateau, and even Kwara. But we are evolving modalities to address these challenges within the re­sources available to us,” Oluyede said.

The CDS revealed that new special forces had been deployed to Benue and Plateau, while a new Joint Task Force, code-named ‘Op­eration Savannah Shield’, would soon be inaugurated to specifical­ly cover Kwara State and parts of Niger State.

“We are pulling resources from other theatres to strengthen this operation and ensure improved security in the area,” he added.

Oluyede further disclosed that Nigeria was partnering with allied countries to bridge gaps in intelligence gathering, stressing that such collaborations were be­ing streamlined to safeguard the country’s sovereignty.

“Our partners have been quite helpful, particularly in intelligence. But we are careful to streamline these collaborations in line with the guidelines of Mr. President, to ensure that Nigeria’s sovereignty is not compromised,” he said.

He emphasised that the Armed Forces lack the manpower to be de­ployed everywhere at once, noting that continuous troop movements from one theatre to another have placed enormous strain on per­sonnel.

“The soldiers hardly have rest because we don’t have the num­bers. Recruiting more personnel comes with other challenges, hous­ing, logistics and welfare. That is why strengthening the police and civil defence is critical. They have more men and better reach to fill the gaps after military operations,” Oluyede said.

Earlier, Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Rep. Ba­bajimi Benson (APC, Lagos), stressed that Nigeria’s contem­porary security challenges could not be addressed through kinetic approaches alone.

While acknowledging the gains made by the Armed Forces and other security agencies, he said sustainable peace requires complementary non-kinetic strat­egies. “The defence and security sector occupies a central place in Nigeria’s development discourse.

“No nation can make sustain­able progress without guarantee­ing the safety of lives, property, and critical national assets,” Benson said.

He highlighted the need for deeper institutional reforms, im­proved inter-agency coordination, and smarter deployment of scarce resources.

According to him, increased budgetary allocations must be matched with measurable out­comes, transparency, and account­ability.

“The era of input-focused bud­geting without commensurate impact is no longer acceptable. Nigerians expect results that translate into safer communities, restored livelihoods, and renewed confidence in the authority of the state,” Benson said.

The lawmaker advocated a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to secu­rity, calling for investments in stra­tegic communication, community peacebuilding, defence intelligence infrastructure, cyber defence, bor­der security technology, police re­forms, and inter-agency data fusion centres.

Benson added that the 2026 bud­get proposals must demonstrate a clear balance between military strength and tools for sustainable peace.

He reaffirmed the House of Representatives’ commitment to national security, pledging the com­mittee’s support for strengthening Nigeria’s defence architecture through local production, research and development, improved per­sonnel welfare, and modernisation anchored on efficiency, transparen­cy, and innovation.

He also stressed that oversight remains a core constitutional responsibility of the House Com­mittee on Defence, noting that appropriated funds are public re­sources that must be judiciously utilised. “Our oversight is not an obstacle but a necessary catalyst for efficiency and effectiveness. We stand ready to advocate for the resources the Armed Forces genu­inely require to succeed.

“However, this partnership is predicated on mutual transparen­cy, a shared vision, and an unyield­ing commitment to measurable results,” Benson added.

He concluded by reaffirming the unwavering commitment of the House to peace, unity, and na­tional security, noting that a strong, professional, and well-motivated military is indispensable to na­tional stability.

Police, NSA Harp On Intelli­gence Sharing, Joint Opera­tions

Meanwhile, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigeria Police Force have insisted that sustained joint oper­ations and intelligence sharing will go a long way to preserve the nation’s security architecture for national stability.

According to both agencies, a deeper collaboration among agen­cies was fast becoming the corner­stone of the country’s evolving security framework.

Both security agencies came to this conclusion on Tuesday at the National Economic Council (NEC) conference in Abuja, where securi­ty deliberations were situated with­in the broader context of economic growth and social cohesion rather than as a purely enforcement re­sponsibility.

The session was moderated by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (rtd).

Speaking on behalf of the Na­tional Security Adviser, the Minis­ter of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa, said the Federal Govern­ment has, since 2023, accelerated efforts to harmonise operational mandates, strengthen intelligence synchronisation and align securi­ty planning with national develop­ment priorities.

He observed that insecurity and economic decline often reinforce each other, warning that persistent threats, including terrorism, ban­ditry, kidnapping, organised crime and cybercrime, continue to under­mine livelihoods, deter investment and weaken public confidence in governance.

According to Musa, the ad­ministration’s recalibrated secu­rity doctrine is embedded in the Renewed Hope National Devel­opment Plan 2026-2030, which rec­ognises security as a cross-cutting pillar linked to economic diversi­fication, human capital develop­ment, private-sector growth and environmental sustainability.

He stressed that sustainable safety can no longer be achieved through isolated or purely force-based measures, noting that the emerging strategy places strong emphasis on intelligence fusion, inter-agency coordination and technology-driven surveillance systems.

“Sustainable security is not achieved by force alone. Intelli­gence fusion, coordination and technology must work together with governance and develop­ment,” he said.

The Defence Minister added that closer cooperation among the Armed Forces, intelligence services and law-enforcement agencies is already improving nationwide situational awareness and operational response time.

Reinforcing the call for collabo­ration, the Inspector-General of Po­lice, Kayode Egbetokun, represent­ed by the Deputy Inspector-General in charge of Information and Com­munication Technology, Frank Mba, said the growing convergence of operations and training among security institutions reflects a shift from rivalry to collective responsi­bility.

“Our priority is collective prog­ress, not competition,” Mba stated, adding that modern crime trends demand unified national action.

Mba, who spoke as a panelist, noted that shared intelligence platforms and joint field exercises are strengthening the ability of agencies to track cross-border and inter-state criminal networks, ex­plaining that crime patterns across geopolitical zones are increasingly interconnected and require predic­tive, data-driven policing supported by real-time information exchange.

Both officials underscored the importance of public trust and community participation, stress­ing that sustainable security must be built in partnership with state governments, local authorities and grassroots stakeholders to generate credible intelligence and long-term resilience.

They also highlighted the ex­panding deployment of data ana­lytics, biometric identification sys­tems and secure communications infrastructure as essential tools for modern security management, while acknowledging lingering challenges such as youth unem­ployment, coordination gaps and environmental pressures.

The officials maintained that lasting national stability would de­pend on sustained joint operations, seamless intelligence exchange and the integration of governance reforms with economic and social policies, describing collabora­tive security planning as key to strengthening unity and unlocking Nigeria’s development potential.

In his closing remarks, Gen. Musa expressed optimism about the country’s outlook, urging Nige­rians to embrace collective respon­sibility in addressing security chal­lenges and emphasising the need for both kinetic and non-kinetic measures.

“The future is bright if we work together. No organisation or community can do it alone. Good governance, fairness, trust and inclusion must go hand in hand with security operations,” he said, noting that local governments and communities remain crucial to ear­ly warning and preventive action.