Two years of the CDS and service chiefs at the helm of Nigeria’s military, By Samuel Aruwan

Last week, I was among the invitees to an expanded conversation to commemorate the second anniversary of the Assumption of Command of Nigeria’s service chiefs: Chief of Defence Staff, General CG Musa; the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General TA Lagbaja of blessed memory; Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral EI Ogalla; and Air Marshal HB Abubakar, the Chief of the Air Staff. My former Editor-in-Chief at Blueprint Newspapers Limited, and now Minister of Information and National Orientation, Malam Mohammed Idris, chaired the occasion at the New Conference Hall of the Defence Headquarters. The CDS was the Chief Host.

In his welcome remarks, the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, noted that the event was conceived in alignment with one of the leadership philosophies of the CDS, which is leading a people-centric armed forces. He added that Directorate of Defence Information has continued to operate on this foundation, with a mission to ensure that the Nigerian public remains accurately and adequately informed about the activities, achievements, and sacrifices of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

To open proceedings, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa, expressed the heartfelt condolences of the Armed Forces to the families and communities affected by the recent spate of violent attacks, especially the tragic losses in Yelwata, Benue State, and other affected areas across the southern and northern parts of the country. The CDS noted that these senseless acts of violence against fellow citizens weighed heavily on the hearts of the Service Chiefs. “As always,” he said, “we remain fully committed to ensuring that justice is served and that peace and stability are restored to all corners of Nigeria.”

Reminiscing on the start of their journey on June 19th, 2023, the Defence Chief averred, “It is worth recalling that exactly two years ago today, the current Service Chiefs and I were entrusted with the leadership of our respective services. On that day, we were charged by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to steer the Armed Forces of Nigeria through one of the most challenging periods in our national history. Since then, we have been working as a unified team to respond to the ever-evolving security threats facing our country.”

Recalling solemnly how of one of the Service Chiefs left them in the course of their journey, General Musa said in an emotional tone, “However, it is with deep sadness that I remind us of the unfortunate demise of our dear brother and colleague, the former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, who passed away in November 2024. May his soul continue to rest in peace. Following his passing, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede was appointed as the next Chief of Army Staff. I must commend him for hitting the ground running, bringing renewed vigour, professionalism, and continuity to the strategic direction of the Nigerian Army. His seamless transition has been vital in maintaining the momentum and cohesion we have built over the past two years.”

With this background, the CDS set the tone for the conversation. The Defence Media Operations Directorate in their submission by Brigadier General Ibrahim Abu-Mawashi explained that in the period under review, 6,260 terrorists have been neutralized, while 14,138 terrorists were arrested across all theatres of operations. The Armed Forces rescued 5,365 kidnapped victims while large caches of arms and ammunition were recovered.

In the North East, according to him, the brave and strategic actions of Operation HADIN KAI led to the neutralization of hundreds of terrorist elements from the ranks of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, while 2,467 were arrested. 1,920 civilians were rescued while 982 arms, and 2,153 rounds of ammunition were recovered within the Operation HADIN KAI area of responsibility.

Operation FANSAN YAMMA in the North-west also had hundreds of armed bandits taken out, including top commanders in Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto States. The operatives also arrested 2,160 bandits and rescued 3,288 hostages.

In the North-Central, 947 rifles and 25,802 rounds of ammunition were recovered, while 730 terrorists, bandits, and violent extremists were neutralized, with 7,153 arrested. A total of 1,510 civilians were rescued, while 1,065 weapons and 19,709 rounds were recovered.

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Operation UDO KA in South-East eliminated 440 terrorists while 1,677 criminals were arrested. In the Niger Delta corridor, Abu-Maiwashi explained that Operation DELTA SAFE recovered 83 billion naira worth of stolen crude oil. The troops also neutralized 103 criminals, arrested 2,760 others, and rescued 266 civilians from the kidnappers.

Air Vice Marshal EK Gabkwet reeled out breakthroughs by the Nigerian Air Force, reporting that in the last two years, the NAF has reached new heights in its operational capabilities. Fifteen brand-new aircraft were received by the NAF, including 6 T-129 ATAK helicopters, 2 AW-109 Trekkers, 3 Beechcraft King Air aircraft and 4 Diamond 62 aircraft. An additional 49 platforms are expected before the end of 2026.

These new acquisitions reinforce readiness to reposition the NAF to effectively meet the air power demands of Nigeria. The delivered aircraft have greatly enhanced operational effectiveness, enabling the Service to fly over 4,500 hours in 2,304 sorties for 1,974 Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency (CTCOIN) missions within the past year.

Similarly, the Nigerian Air Force flew over 4,670 hours in 2,713 sorties for 2,610 anti-banditry missions as well as 1,450 hours in 453 sorties for 366 counter-crude oil theft missions between 2023 and 2024. Between January and May this year, the Nigerian Air Force has already flown over 832 hours in 469 sorties for CTCOIN missions, 2000 hours in 919 sorties for anti-banditry missions as well as 751 hours in 340 sorties for counter-crude oil theft missions. All these missions contributed decisively to the attainment of operational objectives and the enhancement national security.

It was also heartening to hear AVM Gabkwet outlining the meticulous efforts of the NAF aircraft and armament engineers and technicians, who conducted the first ever in-country 4800 hours inspection on the DO 228 aircraft. Additionally, they successfully reactivated a DO-228 aircraft which had been grounded for about 23 years. Some other reactivated aircraft are 2 AW 109EM, one Mi 35p and one Mi 171 helicopters, as well as 1 ATR 42 aircraft. Platforms currently undergoing reactivation, he further said, include 1 Super Puma helicopter, 1 Citation 680 aircraft, 1 ATR 42 aircraft, 1 Bell 412 helicopter and 2 AW 109EM helicopter.

On the impact of the operations across in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, he concluded that the air operations have neutralized several high-value targets, dismantled logistics networks, and restored hope to communities plagued by insurgency. From June 2023 to date, over 3496 terrorists were neutralized, while 775 structures/logistics and 218 combat vehicles were destroyed by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI in the Northeast. In North-Western Nigeria the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA has conducted several independent and joint operations to restore peace within their Areas of responsibility. From October last year to date over 2,154 terrorists have been neutralized, while 669 structures and about 271 motorbikes were destroyed. In Operation DELTA SAFE, the kinetic and non-kinetic employment of air power has had significant positive impact on the Nigerian economy.

Corroborating the Air Force’s assertion of improved crude oil production, Rear Admiral OO Soyemi, who highlighted Nigerian Navy strides in the period under review, explained that the NN’s anti-oil theft operations have been successful, side by side with anti-piracy, anti-sea robbery and anti-smuggling operations. Other achievements include assets recapitalization, establishment of new bases, hydrographic operations, alongside regional and international cooperation.

The Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Soyemi further explained, has been at the forefront of operations to curb oil theft through Operation DELTA SANITY – initially launched in January 2024 and revamped in December 2024 – with the integration of aerial surveillance and improved intelligence to achieve better results. This has led to the arrest of 76 vessels and 242 suspects, while over 808 illegal refining sites with 2,411 dug-out pits and 5,421 storage facilities were deactivated. Additionally, 58 arms, 276 rounds of ammunition, 101 speedboats, 59 pumping machines, 38 outboard engines, one welding machine, 8 generator sets, 6 wheelbarrows, and several hoses were seized from criminal elements. Furthermore, oil thieves were denied about 27,255,505.00 liters (171,418.27 bbls) of crude oil, 4,017,262.00 liters of illegally-refined AGO, 117,525 liters of DPK, and 369,155.00 liters of PMS. At current market rates, this amounts to about 29.5 billion naira denied oil thieves since the commencement of the operation.

The effectiveness of the operations has been measured by data and statistics, such as high percentages of terminal factors recorded along the Trans-Niger, Trans Escravos, and Trans Forcados pipelines by as much as 98-100 per cent since the third quarter of 2024. Also, recent data from Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) indicate that crude oil theft has reduced to about 5,000 bpd. Moreover, Rear Admiral Soyemi said, following Presidential directives, the Nigerian Navy on 13th January commenced fiscalization duties in the nation’s five major crude oil export terminals, namely Bonny, Brass, Escravos, Forcados, and Qua Iboe terminals, with efforts ongoing to extend the same to other terminals. The objective, he added, is to verify and authenticate quantities of crude oil loaded by nominated tankers, thereby drastically reducing the incidence of oil theft at the terminals.

On joint operations, Rear Admiral Soyemi said the Nigerian Navy currently has over 1,800 personnel, including Special Boat Service and Special Forces detachments, deployed in nine ongoing internal security operations, as well as counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations across the country. He also highlighted the critical roles the Navy played in managing the unfortunate Maiduguri flood and operationalising the Naval Outpost at Shagunu to check the influx of bandits and arms smuggling along the River Niger axis of Niger and Kebbi states.

Overall, the operational activities of the Nigerian Navy have intensified since Vice Admiral Ogalla assumed command, leading to the denial of over N34.5 billion worth of crude oil, petroleum products, and smuggled rice to criminal elements.

In his closing remarks, Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris noted that when the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs were appointed two years ago, Nigeria faced numerous security challenges, including insurgency in the Northeast, banditry in the Northwest, farmer-herder conflicts in the North Central, secessionist agitations in the South-East, oil theft and piracy in the South-South, and other forms of criminality in parts of the Southwest. Despite these challenges, the strategic leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs has not only contained these threats but visibly reclaimed national space physically, psychologically, and operationally.

Samuel Aruwan was the pioneer Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State 2019-2024, and a postgraduate student at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Email: [email protected]