‘Necessary But Incomplete Step’— Expert
By Segun Onibiyo
(Abuja, Nigeria) “We are no longer deploying soldiers in bits and pieces. These 800 special forces will be deployed as a cohesive unit trained, equipped, and ready for modern warfare.” General Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff.
In a bold shift from fragmented responses to insurgency and organized banditry, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, announced last Wednesday the deployment of over 800 special operations troops to the nation’s blood-soaked frontlines. The soldiers, he said, have completed rigorous training in modern, asymmetric combat and will act in unified formations rather than piecemeal deployments.
The announcement, made during the Defence Training Seminar in Abuja, reflects an evolving strategy, one that leans on elite units, cross-service synergy, and advanced technology to combat a war on multiple fronts. From ISWAP’s growing reach in the northeast to Fulani militia attacks in central Nigeria and banditry in the northwest, the military is stretched thin across over 30 active conflict zones.
But can a tightly coordinated strike force of 800 soldiers decisively break Nigeria’s cycle of terror?
A War Fought on Too Many Fronts
Security analyst Major John Etuk (rtd.), a former director of operations in the Nigerian Army, sees the move as a “necessary but incomplete step.”
“The coordinated deployment is overdue. We’ve lost too many men in piecemeal battles where units are outgunned or isolated. But 800 troops even well-trained cannot plug all the holes without local intelligence and terrain mastery,” Etuk told TruthNigeria.
Indeed, Nigeria’s war machine is up against multiple hydra-headed foes:
Boko Haram insurgents still hold terrain in Borno State.
ISWAP has overtaken key military installations and carried out attacks using drones and satellite communications.
Some radicalized criminals hailing from Nigeria’s Fulani tribe, an ethnic group in Africa’s Sahel region, have unleashed a reign of terror across Nigeria, especially Benue state.
A TruthNigeria report shows that for more than 15 years, Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) have been seizing ancestral lands of Benue leaving destruction and despair in their wake. Innocent lives are lost, communities shattered, and hope dwindle.
Military Bases Breached, Soldiers Overrun
Despite multiple announcements of victory by defense spokesmen, insurgents continue to overrun military positions.
“These elite forces will fill a tactical gap, but their real value will depend on what follows them: logistics, surveillance support, and coordination with ground-level defense actors,” said Dr. Cynthia Ukaibe, conflict strategist at the National War College told TruthNigeria in a WhatsApp chat.
Vigilantes (Community Guards): The Silent Backbone
While the government touts elite special forces, in many rural communities armed locals – so-called vigilantes – without official recognition form the first line of defense.
In Yelewata, a village in Benue State recently rocked by massacres, local vigilantes (Community Guards), played critical roles in defending residents during attacks by herdsmen, although, none were publicly acknowledged by the authorities.
“Vigilantes (Community Guards) can never be prohibited in reality. In Yelewata, they’re hiding because the government would disarm them if they went public. Yet these are the people delaying massacres until help arrives if it ever does,” said a senior police official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Security expert Professor Habiba Lawan, of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, calls this the central paradox in Nigeria’s war on terror, “The state cannot win this war without civilian cooperation and local muscle. But by criminalizing vigilantes (Community Guards) or disarming them, it creates distrust and leaves communities vulnerable,” Lawan told TruthNigeria.
When asked whether the new deployment includes integration or collaboration with local defense volunteers, military officials were tight-lipped.
General Musa, however, hinted at “multi-level engagement strategies” without specifying if that includes vigilante (Community Guards) forces.
High-Tech Hope or High-Risk Gamble?
“As part of our strategic vision, we are working closely with the Services to review and enhance our defence-training architecture.
“This includes aligning training with strategic defence objectives, upgrading infrastructure, expanding partnerships with global military institutions, and encouraging innovation,” says Minister of Defence Mohammad Badaru at the seminar in Abuja.
While some view this as long overdue modernization, others warn that technological capacity without human intelligence from locals may prove strategically hollow.
“You can’t drone your way through Zangon Kataf or forested Zamfara. Tech must complement not replace human terrain knowledge and community trust,” said Prof. Lawan to TruthNigeria.
“Thinking progressively, Nigeria should be building soldiers who think like commanders. We should be integrating cyber warfare and autonomous systems. These forces will represent the future of Nigeria’s defense doctrine,” Prof Lawan said.
Is 800 Enough?
“These 800 men are not the answer. They are a start if we’re thinking in layers: vigilantes (Community Guards) conventional troops, and elite units all working as one,” said Dr. Ukaibe while speaking to TruthNigeria
“That unity, however, has been historically elusive. Inter-service rivalries, lack of political will, and corruption have all derailed past efforts at reform.” Dr. Ukaibe added.
Mohammed Badaru, Minister of Defence also stressed the importance of joint and combined exercises saying, “No single service can secure our nation alone”.
The Final Word
In Nigeria’s violent hinterlands, the sight of trained soldiers still inspires hope. But villagers in Borno, Kwara, Kaduna, Kogi a, Zamfara and Benue are all too familiar with short-lived deployments that vanish before real change arrives.
Bishop Matthew Kukah of Catholic Sokoto Diocese, a long-time advocate for security reform, captured this cautious hope when fielding questions from a TruthNigeria reporter, “It’s not about the uniforms or the gear. It’s about resolve, continuity, and community. If these 800 troops become symbols of genuine security reform of standing by the people, they may be remembered. If not, they will be forgotten like so many before them.”
Segun Onibiyo reports on terrorism and conflicts for TruthNigeria
