President Bola Tinubu has approved the recruitment and training of 28,000 new soldiers within one year to bolster Nigeria’s security framework.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, disclosed this during a visit to Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia at Government House in Makurdi on Tuesday, March 4, 2026.
Lieutenant General Shaibu described the visit as both official and personal, noting it as a return to the state that shaped his early education.
He stated that the trip included operational assessments at the headquarters of Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), the 401 Special Brigade, and other formations to evaluate readiness and address challenges confronting troops.
The COAS revealed that an additional battalion has been deployed to Kwande Local Government Area to reinforce ongoing security operations.
He added that beyond kinetic efforts, the Army is implementing non-kinetic approaches by engaging traditional leaders, including the Tor Tiv, to enhance community cooperation and intelligence sharing
Lieutenant General Shaibu commended Governor Alia for providing operational support to soldiers, including drones, motorcycles, and vehicles, as well as educational assistance for widows of fallen soldiers.
He noted that the Army is expanding its aviation capabilities to improve response times, including plans to deploy helicopters for Operation Whirl Stroke, and assured Benue State of the military’s ongoing commitment to restoring lasting peace.
Governor Hyacinth Alia commended the Nigerian Army and the Federal Government for sustained support in enhancing security across the state.
He described the COAS’s visit as a homecoming, acknowledging that Shaibu was returning to a state that influenced his early upbringing.
The governor appreciated the Army and President Tinubu’s administration for their dedication to national security, particularly in Benue, stating that close collaboration between his government and the military has significantly reduced insecurity.
Alia pointed out that when his administration took office on May 29, 2023, about 17 of the state’s 23 local government areas faced heavy insecurity, but sustained efforts have reduced high-risk areas to three, with relative calm now prevailing even in those locations.
He highlighted recent engagements with Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas to strengthen cross-border collaboration in tackling insecurity along shared boundaries.
The governor recalled that following a previous security crisis in the state, the Federal Government responded promptly to his appeal by deploying three battalions within 24 hours.
He urged communities to provide credible intelligence to security agencies, emphasizing that uniformed personnel should be regarded as partners in protecting lives and property.
Alia reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting families of fallen soldiers and stressed that lasting peace would enable internally displaced persons to return to their communities.
History of the Nigerian Army
The Nigerian Army traces its origins to colonial times, beginning as the West African Frontier Force (WAFF) in 1900, established by the British to protect colonial interests and maintain order across British West Africa territories, including present-day Nigeria.
In 1958, the Nigerian Military Force was formed from the Nigerian Regiment of WAFF, marking the transition toward a national army as independence approached.On October 1, 1960, when Nigeria gained independence, the force was renamed the Nigerian Army, with Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi as its first indigenous General Officer Commanding (GOC).
The Army played a central role in the 1966 coups that ended the First Republic, followed by the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), during which it grew significantly in size and experience under leaders like Yakubu Gowon.
Post-civil war, the Army expanded rapidly, reaching a peak strength of over 250,000 troops by the mid-1970s, with involvement in internal security, peacekeeping missions (notably in Liberia and Sierra Leone under ECOMOG), and multiple military regimes.
The return to civilian rule in 1999 under President Olusegun Obasanjo saw the Army downsized and professionalized, with a focus on counter-insurgency after the emergence of Boko Haram in 2009.
Under subsequent administrations, the Army has been restructured to address banditry, kidnapping, and separatist threats, with operations such as Operation Lafiya Dole (against Boko Haram), Operation Whirl Stroke (North-Central), and Operation Hadin Kai (successor to Lafiya Dole).
As of 2026, the Nigerian Army remains one of the largest in Africa, with active participation in multinational efforts like the Multinational Joint Task Force against Boko Haram and Lake Chad Basin security initiatives.
The force has evolved from a colonial constabulary to a modern military institution focused on internal security, counter-terrorism, and regional peacekeeping, while facing challenges including funding constraints, equipment modernization, and troop welfare.