ARMY EXPANSION: RETIRED GENERALS PREDICT IMPROVED SECURITY NATIONWIDE

Retired Nigerian Army generals have welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s approval for the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions and the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel.

They described the move as a strategic step that will strengthen national security and improve military operations.

The retired officers who spoke in separate interviews on Sunday said the decision would enhance the Army’s operational effectiveness, reduce unemployment and improve the country’s response to insecurity.

President Tinubu had on July 24 approved the establishment of four new divisional headquarters in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City as part of reforms aimed at strengthening the Army’s operational capacity.

Speaking on the development, Brig Gen George Emdin (retd.) said the increase in troop strength was a welcome initiative that would help address the country’s security challenges.

“It will help in containing the insecurity bedevilling the country.

“The more the strength, the better for us. It is a strategic approach,” he said.

According to him, the expansion would also create opportunities within the military while generating broader national benefits.

“It will reduce unemployment. The early retirement of senior officers means there would be more space for deployment now.

“It is a blessing not just to the Army but to us all. It has national impact as well as internal advantages for the service itself,” he said.

Also reacting, Brig Gen Bashir Adewinbi (retd) described the approval as a long-awaited development, saying he had consistently advocated the expansion of the Army’s operational structure.

“It is long overdue. I am one of the advocates of that particular expansion,” he said.

He explained that the Army’s order of battle should reflect prevailing security threats across the country.

“That’s what we call the order of battle of the Army,” Adewinbi said.

He argued that the new divisions would improve military presence in areas currently exploited by terrorists and other criminal groups.

“Now that the President has deployed additional divisions to all these ungoverned areas, covering the geopolitical zones of Nigeria, I think it will reduce terrorism in Nigeria,” he said.

The retired general said the additional formations would improve surveillance and sustained military operations in forests and remote communities where armed groups currently operate.

“With this expansion of divisions, in fact, it is one of the best things that has happened to the Nigerian Armed Forces,” he said.

“People will see the results. It will reduce terrorism and criminal activities drastically,” Adewinbi added.

He expressed optimism that the restructuring would significantly improve security across the country.

“It is wonderful to see,” he said.

Under the new 12-division structure, the Presidency, in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Nigerian Army will be deployed as follows: 1 Division Headquarters in Kaduna, covering Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states; 2 Division Headquarters in Ibadan, covering Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states; 3 Division Headquarters in Jos, covering Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states; 5 Division Headquarters in Makurdi, covering Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states and 6 Division Headquarters in Port Harcourt, covering Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.

The structure includes 7 Division Headquarters in Maiduguri, covering Borno and Yobe states; 8 Division Headquarters in Sokoto, covering Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states; 9 Division Headquarters in Ilorin, covering Kwara and Niger states; and 10 Division Headquarters in Jalingo, covering Taraba and Adamawa states.

There will also be 81 Division Headquarters in Lagos, covering Lagos and Ogun states; 82 Division Headquarters in Enugu, covering Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states; and 83 Division Headquarters in Benin City, covering Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.

The Presidency further revealed that the four new divisional commands would significantly improve command and control, decentralise operational decision-making, enhance counter-insurgency and internal security operations, strengthen border security and ensure faster military response to emerging threats.

Implementation, according to the statement, will be carried out in two phases.

The first phase, covering the establishment of the 5th, 9th and 10th Divisions and the reorganisation of existing formations, is to be completed by September 2026.

The second phase, involving the establishment of the 83rd Division and further reorganisation, is expected to be concluded by December 2026.