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Nigeria’s leading military official said on Wednesday that the Armed Forces lack adequate resources to combat terrorist groups effectively and urged the nation to bolster its police capabilities.
Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, appointed by President Bola Tinubu as the new Chief of Defence Staff, addressed the National Assembly in Abuja as part of the Senate’s screening procedure ahead of his anticipated swearing-in on Thursday.
“We all know that resources are not enough,” Oluyede told the Senate, saying that “makes it very difficult to prosecute the war against terrorism, banditry”.
The Tinubu administration and military have officially refuted claims that at least 16 officers were detained over a supposed coup, asserting they were taken in for disciplinary reasons, although military and government sources have suggested otherwise.
Since Boko Haram’s uprising in 2009, Nigeria has struggled with terrorism in the northeast, leading to a conflict that has spilt into neighbouring regions and spawned deadly splinter factions, including the competing Islamic State West Africa Province.
While violence has diminished since its peak around a decade ago, assaults persist, primarily in rural areas where the military is strained, and state institutions, comprising the police, have long been ineffectual or absent.
Oluyede emphasised that Nigeria, which boasts Africa’s fourth-largest economy, should increase domestic production of arms and equipment to reduce costs.
In August, the United States okayed a $346 million deal involving the sale of bombs, rockets, and munitions to Nigeria. China, Turkey, Brazil, Pakistan, and the Netherlands also rank among the major arms suppliers to Africa’s most populous nation.
However, during a continent-wide defence summit earlier this year, Nigerian companies eagerly showcased their products, ranging from armoured vehicles to drones.
Oluyede also advocated for a “restructuring of the police force.”
“Most of the job that is being done by the army, as we speak, actually lies within the purview of the police,” said Oluyede.
“It is important for the nation to empower the police: make it stronger, make it more formidable, so that they can do their job, while we concentrate on defending Nigeria against external aggression.”
Tinubu’s reshuffle replaced the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, with Oluyede, who previously served as Chief of Army Staff.
Major General Waidi Shaibu is expected to be sworn in as the new Chief of Army Staff, while Rear Admiral Idi Abbas is designated to become the Chief of Naval Staff. Major General Emmanuel Akomaye Parker Undiandeye will retain his role as chief of defence intelligence.
