By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, on Tuesday took his security campaign beyond the battlefield, paying high-level courtesy calls on two of the country’s most influential former Heads of State General Ibrahim Babangida and General Abdulsalami Abubakar before engaging the Niger State Government on a renewed push to tighten security and deepen civil-military collaboration.
The visits, unfolding in Niger State, underscored a clear message: the Nigerian Army is recalibrating its posture, strengthening its operational muscle and aligning closely with political leadership past and present to confront evolving security threats.
Fresh from assessments across key military formations, Shaibu briefed the elder statesmen on sweeping reforms underway within the Army, particularly in training, doctrine and operational readiness.
According to him, large-scale exercises are currently being conducted across training institutions to deliver mission-focused, combat-ready troops while stress-testing existing formations for gaps in manpower, equipment and deployment.
“These exercises are not ceremonial,” the Army Chief conveyed. “They are designed to expose weaknesses, sharpen combat efficiency and determine where new formations or reinforcements are urgently required.”
Niger State, with its vast landmass and strategic depth, featured prominently in the discussions.
Shaibu described the state as both operationally critical and personally significant, recalling his own service there as a former Training and Doctrine Commander.
“We are consolidating all available resources and leveraging technology to confront security challenges more effectively,” he said, noting that many senior officers share deep professional and emotional ties to the state. “In many ways, Niger is home.”
The Army Chief also disclosed that he had conducted operational visits to the 31st, 11th and 18th Brigades in Bida, where frontline assessments revealed gaps requiring urgent intervention to stem recent security threats.
For Generals Babangida and Abdulsalami, the visit was both symbolic and reassuring.
Both former leaders praised Shaibu’s leadership style, describing him as focused, professional and strategically grounded.
They commended the Nigerian Army for sustaining operational discipline despite mounting internal security pressures and offered prayers for wisdom, courage and success as he leads the force through a complex security environment.
At the Niger State Government House, the message was equally direct.
Represented by Deputy Governor Dr Yakubu Garba, Governor Muhammed Umaru Bago’s administration welcomed the Army Chief and applauded the military’s proactive engagement in the state’s security architecture.
Acknowledging persistent challenges, the deputy governor expressed confidence that closer cooperation with the Nigerian Army would turn the tide.
“With the partnership of the Nigerian Army, we are confident we will overcome current challenges and protect lives and communities,” he said.
Taken together, the visits painted a picture of an Army leadership intent on blending operational force with strategic consensus drawing on institutional memory, state collaboration and battlefield readiness to safeguard national security.
For Shaibu, the tour was not just about courtesy calls. It was a statement of command.
