By Reportcircle Abuja
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has issued one of his strongest declarations yet against armed groups undermining national security, vowing an intensified, unrelenting military campaign to dismantle criminal networks operating in Kogi State and across Nigeria.
Speaking on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, while hosting Kogi State Governor Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo at Army Headquarters in Abuja, the Army Chief made it clear that the Nigerian Army is gearing up for a more aggressive, intelligence-driven and resource-backed push to restore stability.
In a message packed with resolve, Lt. Gen. Shaibu reaffirmed that the military will continue to “marshal all necessary resources” to confront evolving security threats, stressing that there will be no retreat in the campaign to protect lives and property.
He highlighted the Nigerian Army’s sustained operational tempo in recent months, insisting that troops remain highly motivated and focused on neutralising criminal strongholds, disrupting bandit cells, and pushing insurgent elements further out of operational corridors.
The COAS also underscored the increasing importance of joint planning and cooperation with state governments, noting that such partnerships are crucial for strengthening the national security architecture.
Governor Ododo, who led a high-level delegation to the meeting, described Lt. Gen. Shaibu’s appointment as the 25th Chief of Army Staff as a “well-earned recognition of his competence, discipline and leadership capacity.”
He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) for appointing a leader he said embodies the strategic clarity needed to confront Nigeria’s complex security challenges.
Governor Ododo praised the Army for its consistent role in stabilising Kogi State over the years, acknowledging the volatile security environment nationwide and emphasising that collective action remains the only sustainable path to peace.
He pledged the full backing of the Kogi State Government for ongoing military operations, including logistics support, intelligence sharing and community engagement.
The high-level engagement signals a tightening of security cooperation between the Nigerian Army and the Kogi State Government, particularly as the state continues to wrestle with kidnapping, terrorism spillovers, and violent criminal gangs exploiting its strategic geographic position.
With both leaders pledging unified action, the Nigerian Army appears set to open a new chapter in its counter-criminality operations one defined by heightened resolve, stronger partnerships and a promise of zero tolerance for threats to national stability.
