Tinubu has improved funding for military operations to tackle insecurity – COAS

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Wahdi Shaibu, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has improved funding for critical military operations, strengthening the Nigerian Army’s capacity to tackle insecurity nationwide.

Shaibu stated this in Maiduguri on Saturday during his Christmas 2025 and New Year 2026 goodwill message to officers, soldiers, civilian staff, and their families, where he commended the President’s leadership and support as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

He said the enhanced funding had improved operational effectiveness, upgraded training infrastructure, enabled the acquisition of modern equipment and strengthened welfare initiatives for personnel and their families.

The Army chief also disclosed that the President approved an increase in the Army’s recruitment quota, a move he said would boost manpower and enhance combat readiness.

Shaibu paid tribute to officers and soldiers deployed across various theatres who are unable to spend the festive season with their families, describing their sacrifice as central to national security.

He assured personnel that the Army would continue to prioritise professionalism, combat readiness, welfare and discipline, while intensifying efforts to address emerging threats and consolidate operational gains in the New Year.

The Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalami Abubakar, said recent interventions by the Chief of Army Staff had strengthened operational capacity and boosted troop morale in the North-East, assuring that forces remained committed to sustaining the tempo of operations.

He noted that the provision of critical assets and platforms had served as force multipliers, while intensified air operations in recent months had yielded significant results, including the neutralisation of terrorists and the degradation of their logistics networks.

Abubakar said the interventions had translated into measurable successes across the Joint Operations Area, disclosing that between May 2025 and the date, Joint Task Force North-East neutralised 438 JAS and ISWAP fighters, recovered 254 assorted weapons, rescued 366 civilians from terrorist enclaves and seized 300 Starlink communication devices.

He added that new Forward Operating Bases had been established at Duji and Kekeno to consolidate gains and expand the military’s operational reach.

culled from Tribune.