Nigeria Needs Minimum Of 200,000 Soldiers To Effectively Fight Insecurity – NAF Ex-Director

Massive recruitment of soldiers has been proffered as an effective means to fight the current insecurity ravaging some sections of the country.

Former Director of Operations, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) headquarters, Napoleon Bali, revealed this while featuring on Arise Television Programme, ‘Morning Show’ which was monitored by THE WHISTLER on Monday.

Bali was speaking against the backdrop of multiple cases of violent attacks by non-state actors in some parts of Nigeria’s Northern and South-East region.

According to him, the military is doing its best with available resources, noting that it was impossible to conquer these assailants or terrorists with over-stretched and inadequate troops.

“This group of service chiefs starting from the Chief of Army Staff, are round pegs in round holes, they are very intelligent and they are doing so well but I think we need troops on the ground. 

“What is going to happen is that no matter the kind of airpower or intelligence you get and the kind of weapons, you need troops to hold the gun.

“When you don’t have boots on ground, definitely they (terrorists) will come back and this thing is similar (sic) to the north west or even the south east, so what I am suggesting now is that concerted efforts must be made to recruit a minimum of 200,000 soldiers.

“Or if you don’t want 200,000 soldiers, then it has to be a special police force where the national assembly should appropriate something that within the next two or three years you must train at least 200,000 to 300,000 soldiers depending on the availability of resources.”

According to him, a lot of equipment has been procured by the military, but the national assembly must make concerted efforts to collaborate with the executives and help the military to come up with strategies to recruit and train more soldiers.

Responding to questions on whether or not state police or the existing Amotekun Corps could be effectively used to fight growing insecurity, Bali responded in the negative.

“I don’t think where we are now, the state police will be able to secure this country, [if you say] national guard I agree with you, because the kind of weapon these terrorists and bandits have, I can assure you Amotekun can’t,” he said.

Bali suggested that rather than prolonging issues on a decentralised security outfit, it would be appropriate also to have capable hands in Amotekun and across the country join the military.