The newly appointed Service Chiefs, confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday, have unveiled their plans to address Nigeria’s complex security problems. They emphasized the need for stronger police capability, local military production, and greater inter-agency collaboration to restore lasting peace.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, urged the Federal Government to adequately fund the Nigeria Police Force, allowing the military to focus on its constitutional duty of defending the nation from external threats.

“Empowering the police will enable the Army to concentrate on external defence and counter-terrorism,” he said, stressing that the fight against insecurity must be a collective national effort.

Oluyede, who previously served as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), also advocated for improved funding for the armed forces and prioritisation of local defence manufacturing, warning that dependence on imported weapons was unsustainable.

He said: “Nigeria must develop its own capacity to confront emerging threats from terrorism to cybercrime. If we fail to manage information and build self-reliance, our challenges will persist.”

The Senate confirmed the appointments of Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede (CDS), Rear Admiral Idi Abbas (Chief of Naval Staff), and Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke (Chief of Air Staff) after considering the motion moved by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central).

Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended General Oluyede’s record of field command and praised his leadership in reducing insecurity nationwide.

“You are a general who leads from the front. Since you assumed office, there’s been no area where the Boko Haram flag has been hoisted. You have saved the nation from countless threats,” Akpabio said.

The new Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, strongly opposed the proposed creation of a Nigerian Coast Guard, describing it as unnecessary duplication of the Navy’s statutory functions.

“We don’t need another agency performing the same role,” he argued. “Half the funds proposed for the Coast Guard should be given to the Navy to improve its operational capacity.”

Abbas also highlighted ongoing efforts to tackle oil theft and maritime insecurity through the use of drones and modern technology.

“Oil theft often occurs in hard-to-reach areas. With drone surveillance and better logistics, we can monitor and respond more effectively,” he explained.

He further revealed the establishment of a Special Operations Command in Makurdi, Benue State, to secure the Benue–Lokoja corridor and inland waterways.

On reintegration of repentant insurgents, Abbas stressed a community-driven approach, saying victims’ families must be consulted to promote reconciliation and acceptance.

“Rehabilitation should not ignore those who suffered losses. Healing must involve all affected communities,” he said.

Abbas also emphasised the Navy’s commitment to its Total Spectrum Maritime Strategy, designed to address piracy, oil theft, coastal banditry, and kidnapping through inter-agency synergy.

The new Chief of Army Staff, Major General Waidi Shaibu, vowed to decisively eliminate the Lakurawa terrorist group, which has been responsible for attacks in several northern states.

“We will deal decisively with the Lakurawa bandits. They will have no room to regroup or threaten our people,” he declared.

Shaibu recounted his combat experience in Borno State, where he led key operations against Boko Haram insurgents in 2015, promising to build on past successes.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, promised to lead a disciplined, highly trained, and technologically advanced Air Force capable of outmatching adversaries.

“A man running from you has no time to plan against you,” he said, stressing the need for constant air superiority through intelligence, precision strikes, and rapid deployment.

Aneke noted that his leadership vision rests on training, technology, safety, and innovation, adding that “true military power lies not in brute force, but in strategic adaptability and superior intellect.”

Nigeria’s new service chiefs have pledged to adopt a comprehensive, intelligence-driven, and community-supported strategy to confront the nation’s diverse security challenges from terrorism and banditry to maritime crime and cyber threats.

They also called for greater synergy among security agencies, enhanced funding, and local production of military assets to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and build a self-sustaining defence system.