Nigeria’s Top General Admits Military Lacks Resources to Defeat Jihadists, Urges Police Reforms
His remarks came days after President Bola Tinubu reshuffled the country’s top military leadership amid reports of a coup plot which authorities have denied
Nigeria’s incoming Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has acknowledged that the country’s military does not have sufficient resources to decisively win its long-running war against jihadist insurgent
Speaking before the National Assembly in Abuja during his Senate confirmation hearing, Oluyede urged the government to boost local arms production and strengthen the police force to ease the military’s burden
“We all know that resources are not enough,” he told lawmakers. “That makes it very difficult to prosecute the war against terrorism and banditry’
His remarks came days after President Bola Tinubu reshuffled the country’s top military leadership amid reports of a coup plot which authorities have denied
Nigeria has been fighting Boko Haram and its splinter group, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), since 2009. Though violence has decreased since its peak a decade ago, insurgent and bandit attacks persist, particularly in rural areas where security forces remain overstretched
Oluyede said many tasks currently handled by the army should fall under police jurisdiction and called for a restructuring of the police force
“Most of the work being done by the army actually lies within the purview of the police,” he said. “It is important to empower the police so the military can focus on defending Nigeria against external threats”
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Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, nominated as Chief of Air Staff, also warned senators that militant groups are increasingly using advanced technology such as drones
“The enemy you’re fighting went to school,” Aneke said. “They should not be seen as rag-tag fighters.”
Tinubu’s military reshuffle also included Major General Waidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff, while Major General Emmanuel Akomaye Parker Undiandeye retained his position as Chief of Defence Intelligence
Writer : Mweru Mbugua
