Insecurity: We Must Strengthen Police, Civil Defence To Consolidate Gains Made-CDS …We’ll Deploy All Available Resources To Ensure Security, Territorial Integrity, Sovereignty-Defence Minister

By Alkassim Bala Tsakuwa, Abuja

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has stated that, there is need to strengthen the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to consolidate the gains recorded by the Nigerian Armed Forces in the fight against insurgency and banditry across the country.

He said, the two agencies will help ensure sustainable peace by taking over and maintaining security in the areas cleared by the armed forces saying that, they have the reach and understanding of security issues at the grassroots.

He further noted that, they have more personnel and wider community reach than the Armed Forces as such, they must be adequately equipped to take over and secure the areas.

General Oluyede stated this during the 2025 budget appraisal and defence of the 2026 budget proposal held by the House of Representatives Committee on Defence at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja on Tuesday.

He said, “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 while giving an overview of the nation’s security situation, disclosed that arrangements had been concluded to deploy special forces to Kwara State and parts of Niger State to address the recent surge in insecurity. He stressed, however, that the Armed Forces alone could not resolve the challenges.

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

He added, “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”.

He further informed that, new special forces had also 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.

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

The CDS further disclosed that Nigeria was partnering with some allied countries to bridge gaps in intelligence gathering adding that such partnerships were being streamlined to safeguard the country’s sovereignty.

He said, “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”.

Earlier, Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Rep. Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos), said 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, Benson stressed that sustainable peace required complementary non-kinetic strategies.

He said, “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”.

He stressed that, persistent security threats underscored 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, value for money, transparency and accountability.

Speaking, the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa informed the Committee that, they will continue to address security issues in the country by deploying all resources and putting them in priority areas that will guarantee security of lives and properties of Nigerians and safeguarding the territorial integrity of Nigeria as well as preserving it’s sovereignty.