Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu on Wednesday restated the Nigerian Army’s steady promise to back civil authorities in carrying out their constitutional duties, as the nation tightens internal security and builds manpower.
Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, briefed Defence Correspondents in Abuja.
According to the release, the COAS spoke while receiving Ebonyi State Governor Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru on a courtesy visit to Army Headquarters.
Lieutenant-General Shaibu praised the Ebonyi government for its sustained cooperation and said that completing the new Nigerian Army Depot in the state would lift training, capacity, and operations.
He added that recruits trained at the depot would pass out in Abakaliki, reinforcing Ebonyi’s growing strategic weight for the Army.
The Army Chief urged the governor to keep sensitising citizens to share timely, reliable intelligence, noting that community tips remain key to tackling Nigeria’s security headaches.
He also asked the governor to push eligible Ebonyi youths to join the Army, saying broader enlistment would tighten national security. The COAS sought the same advocacy across other South-East states to spur regional participation.
In response, Governor Nwifuru congratulated Lieutenant-General Shaibu on his appointment and thanked the Army for supporting Ebonyi’s internal-security operations. He called the depot a strategic boost that has shored up security and readiness.
The governor pledged sustained cooperation, saying Ebonyi had no kidnapping rings or “sit-at-home” hiccups thanks to proactive Army patrols. He requested completion of the Army Reference Hospital in Abakaliki—a facility that would serve Ebonyi and neighbouring South-East and South-South states—and restated his readiness to deepen ties with the Nigerian Army.
