Nigerian Army seeks more recruits to curb insecurity

 

Major General Bashir Magashi (ret.), the minister of defence, has stated that the Nigerian Army needs more recruits to stop insecurity.

The minister said this during a Ministerial Briefing on President Muhammadu Buhari’s scorecard at the Ministry of Defence.

He also said that 19,000 new soldiers should be hired every six months to help the Armed Forces of Nigeria deal with security problems.

He said the government gave the go-ahead for a 100% increase in hiring across all three services as troops stopped 492 boats doing illegal things in Nigerian waters.

He said the Nigerian Army went from recruiting 3,000 people to recruiting 6,500 people each time.

“Representing over 100 per cent increase in manpower of soldiers while also increasing the intake of officers.

“The strength of officers between 2015 and 2023 witnessed an increase of 35 percent while the strength of ratings increased by 84 per cent.”

Even though he didn’t say how many weapons were given to the Nigerian Army, he did say that the addition of these tools has had a hugely positive effect on the fighting spirit and morale of the forces.

The launch of the Delsat 1 satellite on November 15, 2022, to improve the operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces of Nigeria is also a plus, as the minister says it has given Nigeria an eye in the sky and will provide periodic images that will help the military and other security agencies fight insecurity.

He said that from 2015 to 2023, the Nigerian Navy stopped 492 boats doing illegal things in Nigerian waters.

“139 of the arrested vessels have been handed over to Economic and financial crimes commission (EFCC), 52 were handed over to Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), while two vessels handed over to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), as well as 30 to the Department of Fisheries. Notably, 143 of the arrested vessels are still in the custody of the Armed Forces, while 82 have been released to the owners on completion of investigation or trial.”

He also said that the operations of the Nigerian Navy in 2022 saved N158 billion for the country.

“The ministry also curtailed crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region, where over 500 thousand barrels crude oil, 41 million litres of AGO, 14 million litres of DPK, and over 132 thousand litres of PMS were seized in 2022 alone, saving the country over N158 billion. This improved the crude oil revenue of the country,” he said.

In response to questions, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, said that Boko Haram terrorists and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) do not have control over any Nigerian territory because the military operations in the North East are in their final stages and the criminals will soon be gone.