President Bola Tinubu has introduced a five-year strategic defence operations plan aimed at addressing terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other security challenges across Nigeria, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has disclosed.
The council said the initiative was designed to strengthen the country’s security architecture, improve military efficiency and promote a coordinated response to emerging security threats.
Spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Alake, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, describing the plan as part of Tinubu’s commitment to ending the 17-year insurgency and other security challenges affecting different parts of the country.
According to Alake, the framework provides a long-term strategy for aligning defence priorities, operational needs, military capacity development and expenditure with Nigeria’s existing and anticipated security threats.
He said the plan would transform the country’s security system into a more coordinated, intelligence-driven, technology-based and preventive structure.
Alake claimed that the administration had recorded significant military successes in its three years in office, with troops eliminating more than 15,000 terrorists and bandits during ongoing operations.
He also disclosed that over 130,000 Boko Haram fighters and their dependants had surrendered through Operation Safe Corridor, the Federal Government’s rehabilitation initiative for former insurgents.
He said the figures demonstrated the government’s two-pronged approach to insecurity, which combines sustained military operations with non-military interventions to tackle the underlying causes of violence.
On efforts to strengthen military capacity, Alake said Tinubu had approved the establishment of four additional Army divisions and the restructuring of existing military formations.
He explained that the measures would expand military coverage, decentralise operations and enable troops to respond more quickly to security threats across the country.
The APC spokesperson further revealed that the President had approved the establishment of two additional Army depots in Osogbo, Osun State, and Amasiri-Edda, Ebonyi State, to expand military training capacity.
According to him, each facility can train 6,000 recruits at a time, giving the two depots a combined capacity of 12,000 personnel.
He disclosed that the Osogbo facility was already training 5,210 recruits, adding that the expansion of training infrastructure would shorten recruitment turnaround time and increase the number of soldiers available for deployment.
Alake also said Tinubu had approved the recruitment of an additional 28,000 soldiers to strengthen military presence and improve operational effectiveness.
He added that the administration had equally authorised the recruitment of 50,000 additional police officers to reinforce internal security and enhance the country’s response to criminal activities.
Beyond increasing personnel, Alake said the Federal Government was investing in military accommodation and operational infrastructure to improve the welfare and effectiveness of security personnel.
He cited the construction of a 700-unit military barracks in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, as one of the projects aimed at providing troops with adequate accommodation and essential operational facilities.
According to him, the project would enhance the military’s ability to maintain an effective presence in the area while providing personnel with improved living and working conditions.
On the broader objectives of the five-year defence framework, Alake said the Federal Government was adopting a more strategic approach to national security by ensuring that investments in the sector were based on identified threats, operational needs and national priorities.
He added that the plan was expected to improve combat readiness, address critical military capability gaps, maximise available resources and reduce unnecessary spending and wastage.
However, the statement did not specify the implementation schedule, funding arrangements or particular operational targets for the five-year plan.
