Insecurity: We’ll Deploy 800 Special Forces – CDS
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| Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, |
Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has announced that the Defence Headquarters will deploy over 800 highly trained special forces to key operational areas in a renewed effort to tackle the country’s growing security challenges.
Speaking at the Defence Training Seminar held in Abuja yesterday, General Musa revealed that these elite forces have undergone intensive training to address emerging threats across Nigeria.
States such as Benue, Plateau, and Borno have recently experienced renewed violence, prompting the military and other security agencies to step up efforts to restore peace and stability in the affected regions.
He said, “Next week, we will graduate the first batch of 800 special forces, specifically trained to confront the challenges we’re currently facing. Their training has been extensive and rigorous.
“We’ve come to understand that deploying troops in small, scattered units often weakens our effectiveness. This time, we’re deploying them as a cohesive force—troops who know and trust each other. From experience, a strong fighting unit must have internal synergy.”
General Musa noted that the seminar, themed “Performance-Oriented Training and Trends in Contemporary Operating Environment,” represents a collective effort to build a professional, combat-ready force that can operate effectively in today’s evolving security environment.
“Our goal,” he said, “is to create a unified training system—adaptive, technologically driven, cost-effective, and mission-focused. This includes expanding joint training programs, updating doctrines, incorporating performance simulations, and introducing innovative methods to sharpen our operational edge.
“This initiative will also strengthen collaboration and coordination among the various services and other security agencies.”
He stressed that effectively addressing Nigeria’s complex security landscape requires strong inter-service cooperation and the swift integration of modern tools such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, advanced surveillance technologies, and cyber warfare capabilities.
Understanding the nature of the adversary, he added, is essential for preparing to meet current and future threats.
In his address, Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru urged the military to ensure that all training initiatives are aligned with the country’s national security priorities.
He noted that overcoming Nigeria’s security challenges demands proactive, forward-thinking strategies rooted in robust training, inter-agency coordination, and real-time adaptation to new doctrines and technologies.
Badaru praised the conference’s theme as timely and highly relevant, reflecting the pressing national security concerns of today.
He emphasized that the success of any military force depends not only on the strength of its personnel or the sophistication of its weapons, but also on the quality, relevance, and sustainability of its training systems.
“As we gather here today,” the minister said, “we must ask ourselves a critical question: How do we ensure that our Armed Forces are better prepared and more forward-looking in the face of rapidly changing security threats?
“The answer lies in making strategic investments in performance-based training—training that mirrors real-world complexities, focuses on measurable outcomes, and aligns closely with both current and future operational demands. We can no longer afford to train for yesterday’s battles while ignoring the uncertainties of tomorrow.”
Badaru reaffirmed the federal government’s unwavering support for the military in addressing the nation’s security issues.
“As part of our broader strategic vision, we are partnering with the military services to overhaul our defence training framework. This includes aligning training with strategic defence goals, upgrading infrastructure at our training institutions, building partnerships with regional and international academies and think tanks, and fostering innovation in doctrine development, training methods, and simulation tools,” he said.
He further highlighted the importance of joint and combined training exercises, stressing that no single branch of the military can secure the nation alone.
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