By Zainab Bakare
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shuaibu, has disclosed that the Nigerian Army has established new brigades, battalions, and operational units across six states to strengthen security operations and improve rapid response to emerging threats nationwide.
Shuaibu made the disclosure on Monday during the opening of the Chief of Army Staff First Bi-Annual Conference 2026 in Abuja.
According to him, the new formations are part of ongoing efforts to expand the Army’s operational footprint, enhance troop deployments, and improve military presence in volatile areas across the country.
“The Nigerian Army has maintained an enhanced operational posture through continuous troop deployments, reconfiguration of formations, and the establishment of additional Joint Task Force formations and units in critical locations,” he said.
The COAS listed some of the newly established formations to include the 15 Brigade and affiliated units in Anambra and Imo states, the 12 Battalion in Anyigba, Kogi State, the 226 Battalion in Ganye, Adamawa State, and the 247 Reconnaissance Battalion in Mubi.
Others include Army Headquarters Logistics Base 4 in Gusau, Zamfara State, Army Logistics Base 5 in Ilorin, Kwara State, and Operation Savannah Shield in the North-Central region.
He explained that the new units were established to improve operational effectiveness, strengthen intelligence-led operations, and ensure faster responses to security threats in different parts of the country.
Shuaibu also revealed that the establishment of the Depot Nigerian Army in Amasiri, Edda, Ebonyi State, is aimed at supporting the Federal Government’s directive to recruit an additional 28,000 personnel under the Army expansion programme.
According to him, the expansion has significantly improved the Army’s operational reach and disrupted criminal networks in several previously troubled areas.
“These measures have strengthened our operational reach, improved response time, and facilitated effective intelligence-led operations. Consequently, we have continued to disrupt criminal networks, degrade adversary capabilities, and restore relative calm in several previously volatile areas,” he stated.
The Army Chief further highlighted the growing role of Nigerian Army Aviation in ongoing military operations, particularly in the North-East.
He noted that Army aviation assets recently achieved a major operational milestone by successfully supporting the insertion and extraction of troops within the Tumbutu Triangle in the North-East theatre of operations.
Shuaibu reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to strengthening joint military operations, inter-agency collaboration, and international partnerships in counter-terrorism efforts.
He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for continued support to the Armed Forces, especially in the areas of equipment acquisition, infrastructure development, and personnel welfare.
The COAS added that ongoing welfare initiatives, including improved accommodation, enhanced healthcare services, and review of allowances, are designed to boost troop morale and combat readiness.
Nigeria continues to face multiple security challenges, including insurgency in the North-East, banditry and kidnappings in the North-West and North-Central, as well as separatist violence in parts of the South-East.
The Nigerian Army has intensified efforts in recent months to expand its operational capacity and improve rapid response mechanisms across troubled regions.
