By Reportcircle News
The Nigerian Army on Saturday injected 3,391 newly trained soldiers into its operational bloodstream, a decisive reinforcement at a time when national security pressures are intensifying across multiple fronts.
The soldiers passed out at the 89 Regular Recruits Intake Passing Out Parade at Depot Nigerian Army, Osogbo, an event that marked not only the formal induction of a new fighting force, but also a watershed moment in the Army’s institutional history.
It was the first-ever Passing Out Parade since the establishment of the Osogbo depot, effectively launching the facility as a new pillar of manpower development.
Presiding over the parade, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, delivered a blunt charge to the graduates: discipline, professionalism, courage and patriotism are no longer ideals they are obligations.
“You are the pioneer set,” Shaibu told the recruits. “This badge must be worn with pride. Your conduct, from today forward, will define the reputation of this institution.”
The parade unfolded as a statement of intent. Precision drills, synchronized movements and ceremonial pageantry signaled the Army’s confidence that the Osogbo depot has met the standards required to produce combat-ready personnel.
For the COAS, the symbolism went beyond ceremony. As the first graduates of the depot, the recruits now carry the burden of setting the benchmark for all who will follow.
Shaibu reminded them that they were entering service at a particularly volatile moment in Nigeria’s history, as security threats grow more complex, fluid and unpredictable.
From terrorism to banditry and cross-border crime, the operational environment, he warned, would test not just their skills but their character.
“When adversity comes, act with hope of success not fear of failure,” he urged.
The Army Chief emphasized that joining the Nigerian Army is not merely a career choice but a lifelong responsibility to defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity and preserve internal stability.
He reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to the welfare and professional growth of its personnel under his Soldier First Command Mantra.
“Our soldiers remain the enduring strength of the Nigerian Army,” Shaibu said. “You will be supported morally, physically and materially—but the nation will also demand everything you have.”
The message was clear: institutional backing would be firm, but expectations would be uncompromising.
Shaibu also commended the Commandant, officers, instructors and support staff of the Osogbo depot for successfully transforming civilians into disciplined soldiers capable of meeting battlefield demands.
In a forward-looking announcement, he revealed that the newly approved Depot Nigerian Army, Abakaliki, would soon commence training activities.
The move, he said, aligns with presidential directives to expand training capacity, accelerate manpower development and improve operational readiness nationwide.
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, represented at the event, praised the Nigerian Army’s sustained role in safeguarding the nation, particularly in curbing banditry and kidnapping along state borders.
He urged the newly inducted soldiers to remain loyal to the Army’s core values and to see themselves as custodians of peace and stability.
As the final rites of induction were completed, the recruits officially crossed the line from trainees to professional soldiers now bound by oath, discipline and duty.
With 3,391 fresh boots on the ground and new depots coming on stream, the message from Osogbo was unmistakable: the Nigerian Army is scaling up deliberately, methodically and with history in the making.
