The Defense Headquarters has set up new brigades, battalions, units and operational bases across six states of the federation to improve security operations and ensure quick response to emerging threats in the country.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, said the operational bases located in Adamawa, Anambra, Gusau, Imo and Ilorin were created to enhance the Army’s operational posture, expand military presence in volatile areas and improve responses to security challenges across the country.
He disclosed this while declaring open the Chief of Army Staff First Bi-Annual Conference 2026, holding in Abuja.
While stating that the Nigerian Army has continued to sustain an enhanced operational posture through troop deployments, restructuring of formations and the establishment of additional Joint Task Force units in strategic locations, Shaibu said: “The Nigerian Army has maintained an enhanced operational posture through continuous troop deployments, reconfiguration of formations and the establishment of additional Joint Task Force formations and units in critical locations.
“For instance, the 15 Brigade and its affiliated units in Anambra and Imo states, the 12 Battalion in Anyigba, the 226 Battalion in Ganye, Adamawa State, the 247 Reconnaissance Battalion in Mubi, Army Headquarters Logistics Base 4 in Gusau, Army Logistics Base 5 in Ilorin, and Operation Savannah Shield in the North Central have all been established to enhance operational presence and improve responses to emerging security challenges.”
The measures, he said were aimed at improving operational effectiveness and strengthening the Army’s capacity to respond immediately to security threats across different regions of the country.
On recruitment, the army Chief said the establishment of the Depot Nigerian Army in Amasiri, Edda, is aimed at supporting the implementation of the Commander-in-Chief’s directive for the recruitment of an additional 28,000 personnel to strengthen manpower levels.
“Additionally, the establishment of the Depot Nigerian Army, Amasiri, Edda, Ebonyi State, is geared towards achieving the mandate of the Commander-in-Chief’s directive on recruiting an additional 28,000 troops under the expansion programme.
“These measures,” he said, “have strengthened our operational reach, improved response time and facilitated effective intelligence-led operations.
“Consequently, we have continued to disrupt criminal networks, degrade adversary capabilities and restore relative calm in several previously volatile areas.”
On aviation, the COAS said the Nigerian Army Aviation has become a major force multiplier, citing its recent success in supporting troop insertion and extraction operations in difficult terrains in the North-East as a significant operational milestone.
“It is worth noting that one of the major enablers of our recent operational success has been the growing contribution of Nigerian Army aviation assets. Notably, for the first time in the North-East theatre of operations, Army aviation assets successfully enabled the insertion and extraction of troops within the Tumbutu Triangle,” he added.
He reiterated the Army’s commitment to strengthening joint operations, inter-agency collaboration and international partnerships, noting that recent coordinated operations with foreign partners have yielded significant successes in counter-terrorism efforts.
