Lt. Gen. Shaibu says military has detected cross-border indicators
-80% of troops currently deployed in nationwide combat theatres.
The Nigerian Army has activated a heightened state of vigilance along the nation’s borders following early indicators of potential infiltration by foreign jihadist groups fleeing deepening instability across the Sahel region.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, disclosed this on Sunday during the grand finale of the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) 2026 held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Addressing a gathering of top military brass, state officials, and regional dignitaries, Lt. Gen. Shaibu warned that the rapidly evolving security dynamics in neighboring West African nations have significantly amplified the risk of cross-border terrorist movements.
According to reports monitored by Zagazola Makama, a specialized counter-insurgency publication tracking the Lake Chad and Sahel regions, the Army Chief confirmed that military intelligence has already flagged suspicious tactical movements and indicators along Nigeria’s frontier lines.
A Nation Wrapped in Combat Theatres
To counter these emerging external pressures while simultaneously suppressing internal insurrections, the COAS revealed that the military’s human resources are being pushed to their structural limits.
“More than 80 per cent of Nigerian Army personnel are currently deployed in various operational theatres across the country,” Shaibu stated.
Analysts note that this unprecedented deployment rate underscores the severe, multi-faceted security crises gripping the federation. The 80% personnel commitment spans asymmetric battlefields combatting Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) remnants in the Northeast, deadly banditry networks in the Northwest, separatist violence in the Southeast, and oil-theft syndicates in the Niger Delta.
Despite the strain of fighting on multiple fronts, Lt. Gen. Shaibu expressed unwavering confidence in the combat readiness and institutional resilience of the ground forces. He drew historical parallels to the Nigerian Army’s storied legacy, invoking its foundational roles in the First and Second World Wars, the survival of the state during the Nigerian Civil War, and its celebrated history as the backbone of regional peacekeeping missions across West Africa.
Beyond Bullets: A Call for Kinetic Assets and Civil Alliances
The Army Chief emphasized that the modern threat matrix requires more than just defensive positioning. The service, he said, is aggressively pursuing modernization through sustained offensive operations, heavily reformed intelligence-gathering frameworks, and deep-tier collaboration with sister security agencies.
To match the evolving tactics of modern asymmetric warfare, the Federal Government is reportedly investing heavily in advanced combat equipment, localized specialized training, and high-tech electronic intelligence capabilities.
However, in a candid assessment of the limits of military power, the COAS conceded that kinetic operations alone—the use of lethal military force—cannot permanently cure Nigeria’s deep-rooted security ailments. He insisted that sustainable peace requires a holistic, “whole-of-society” architecture.
“National security requires a collective effort in which every stakeholder contributes to promoting peace, stability and national development,” Shaibu urged, calling for a unified front linking state governments, border communities, traditional institutions, civil society organizations, and ordinary citizens.
Reaffirming the military’s strict adherence to democratic values, the COAS pledged that the ongoing crackdowns would be guided by professionalism, international humanitarian law, and ethical rules of engagement. He concluded with a stark warning to non-state actors, reiterating that troops maintain an explicit directive from the Federal Government to decisively neutralize any criminal elements threatening the territorial integrity of the state.
