Amid a troubling escalation of insecurity across the country, the service chiefs have embarked on emergency visits to military bases in the North-East and North-West to assess the situation on the ground and boost troop morale, The PUNCH has learnt.
The visits follow a recent wave of deadly attacks on both civilian communities and military formations, especially in Borno, Yobe, and Zamfara states.
Findings revealed that the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has been touring strategic locations in Zamfara, Kano, and Katsina since the beginning of the week.
Similarly, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, arrived in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, following a resurgence of Boko Haram attacks.
During his visit, the CDS met with stakeholders, military commanders, and frontline troops to address the security breaches and recent attacks.
The PUNCH had earlier reported a string of assaults in Borno, including strikes on military formations, which have resulted in the deaths of several soldiers and civilians.
Speaking after a closed-door meeting with heads of military formations and commanders in the state, the CDS said the military had devised measures to bring an end to the insurgency.
He attributed the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks in Borno State to growing instability in Sahel countries such as Mali, Chad, and Niger.
“Actions are being taken to address the recent series of attacks. We have a new theatre commander assigned here, and other commanders have also been redeployed. A lot of equipment has been brought into the theatre,” he stated.
“If you look at the entire Sahel region, you’ll realise that the pressure in Mali, Chad, and Niger has significantly impacted Nigeria. That is why we’ve seen these recent attacks, but we are taking them very seriously and addressing them.”
General Musa assured that the resurgence of attacks was temporary and emphasized the military’s commitment to preventing further escalation.
“Whatever is happening now is just for a short while. We have responded drastically, and going forward, there will be positive results from the theatre. As we speak, our troops are out there in Sambisa and Timbuktu conducting operations. It’s not just here — in the North-West and North-Central as well, efforts are ongoing to secure the country in line with the President’s mandate.”
He revealed that more equipment and air assets were being deployed and that additional actions were underway to suppress the insurgents.
On the challenges of asymmetric warfare, the CDS noted: “This type of warfare is very difficult because, unlike conventional warfare where you can bomb a whole community, here we have to respect human rights and protect civilians who are not combatants. It requires time and precision. But I can assure you we are heading in the right direction and will continue to do more.”
The CDS commended residents of the state for their resilience and reaffirmed the military’s determination to safeguard lives and property.
“I want to assure the people of Maiduguri, the North-East, and Nigerians in general that the Armed Forces of Nigeria are determined, willing, and capable of restoring peace and security. We are working tirelessly toward that goal.”
He also appealed to journalists in the state to adopt balanced and responsible reporting in order not to embolden the insurgents.
“Let us be fair and balanced in our reports. If our stories focus solely on what the insurgents are doing, we empower them psychologically and motivate them to continue. Let us uplift our troops through our reporting. There are soldiers in the forests and on the roads working to keep us safe. Imagine how demoralising some reports can be — not only for them but also for their families. We’re not asking for lies, just fairness,” he urged.
Also, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, visited the headquarters of Operation Hadin Kai in Borno to lead ongoing operations and encourage the troops.
Top military sources told The PUNCH that the high-level visits are part of a coordinated effort to address the deteriorating security situation and reassure troops of leadership’s commitment.
“The service chiefs have been working very hard to ensure the attacks witnessed in recent times are reduced to the barest minimum. The Chief of Air Staff was in Zamfara, Kano, and Katsina just yesterday. They are not sitting idle; they’re all actively engaged,” a senior military official stated.
Another source confirmed that the Chief of Army Staff had earlier visited the Operation Hadin Kai headquarters.
“The COAS was there to boost troop morale. He also restructured the theatre command leadership to inject fresh ideas and improve operational effectiveness,” the source added.
The latest wave of violence has seen terrorists and bandits launch coordinated assaults on military bases and civilian settlements.
On Tuesday, military bases in Rann, Gajiram, and Dikwa in Borno State came under attack, leading to the deaths of at least four soldiers.
A day earlier, another base in Marte was attacked, resulting in an undisclosed number of casualties and missing personnel.
On May 5, Boko Haram insurgents struck the 27 Task Force Brigade in Buni Yadi, Gujba LGA of Yobe State, killing four soldiers and destroying multiple assets.
In Benue State, at least 20 people were killed in coordinated attacks by armed herdsmen on Ukum and Logo LGAs on April 17.
In Zamfara, a member of the House of Representatives, Aminu Sani Jaji, lamented that over 200 constituents had been kidnapped by bandits in recent weeks.
“In my constituency alone, over 200 people have been kidnapped by bandits. Two weeks ago, 60 people were abducted in Banga. Ten of them were later killed because the community couldn’t raise the N30m ransom. Just yesterday, fresh attacks occurred in Kungurki,” Jaji said.
Faced with mounting public criticism and growing calls for their resignation, the service chiefs have intensified field operations rather than remain at command posts in Abuja.
Efforts to reach the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, were unsuccessful as of press time.
The spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. Onyema Anele, also did not respond to a request for comment.
Speaking on the worsening insecurity, a retired officer of the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps, Chris Andrew, called for greater deployment of technology in Nigeria’s security architecture.
He stressed the importance of embracing modern warfare tools, citing previous successful operations backed by drones and advanced tech.
“A few months before Jonathan left office, the Boko Haram terrorists were effectively tackled by the mercenaries we used, who came with drones and other technologies. They succeeded by about 99 percent. When it was first reported that the terrorists were using drones, the military downplayed it. But today, they have accepted it, which means the terrorists have started deploying technology.
“Don’t be deceived—our soldiers are very well-trained; there is no doubt about that. But we need to begin making massive use of technology.
“Also, the terrorists who carried out the recent attacks came with gun trucks, which must have been seen by nearby communities. Those communities could have alerted the troops. Besides, once the military steps up, the problem gets resolved. Have you heard of any attacks in Lakurawa recently? Did you see how swiftly the military moved against it?” he said.
Security expert Oladele Fajana also expressed concern over the increasing frequency of attacks, especially those targeting military bases.
He described the loss of military equipment to insurgents as alarming and urged a comprehensive overhaul of military tactics.
“For such attacks to succeed, it points to a failure in intelligence gathering. That system needs urgent improvement.
“If the military continues to suffer these kinds of attacks—especially on their bases—it could have severe consequences for national security,” Fajana warned.
