Defence Minister urges unity, actionable strategies at COAS 10th annual conference to consolidate Nigeria’s security gains

By: Zagazola Makama

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, has called for a decisive shift from discussion to action in addressing Nigeria’s complex security challenges, stressing that the country’s gains against terrorism, banditry, and other criminal networks can only be sustained through joint operations, inter-agency collaboration, and collective national effort.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 10th Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Conference 2025 in Lagos, on Monday, General Musa described the gathering as a critical forum for assessing the operational posture, readiness, and professionalism of the Nigerian Army while aligning the service’s priorities with the nation’s strategic security objectives.

“The importance of this conference cannot be overstated,” General Musa said. “Nigeria continues to face a combination of terrorism, banditry, criminality, and other asymmetric threats that demand sustained focus, strategic clarity, and adaptive leadership. The Army, together with other security agencies and the society at large, must operate in unison to confront these threats effectively.”

The Minister highlighted that the operational capacity of terrorist groups, insurgents, and criminal networks has been significantly degraded across multiple theatres, attributing these gains to the courage and professionalism of the troops, improved planning, education, and coordinated joint operations conducted within a multi-agency framework.

“The truth of the matter is that no single service, no single individual, can achieve this alone,” he said. “Success in today’s security environment requires the whole of society working together in synergy.”

General Musa emphasized that inter-service cooperation and intelligence sharing are no longer optional but fundamental to effective national defense. He urged the Army leadership to ensure that the recommendations from the conference are implemented through concrete operational actions, stressing that strategic discussions must translate into measurable tactical outcomes.

“While we celebrate our successes, we must never lose sight of the human dimension of service,” he added, paying tribute to fallen soldiers, wounded personnel, and the families who bear the enduring cost of national service.

He commended the families of the late Lieutenant General Tariq Lagbajan and Brigadier General Oba for their sacrifices and underscored the government’s continued commitment to the welfare, medical care, and long-term support of personnel and their families.

General Musa also lauded the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, for his professional trajectory, from battalion and brigade commands in the North East to theatre command, culminating in his appointment as the Army Chief. “Your leadership exemplifies operational excellence and a deep understanding of the challenges on the ground. The challenge before all senior commanders is to evolve new strategies to defeat the enemies of the state,” he said.

He further highlighted that security remains central to the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda and reiterated the Federal Government’s unwavering support for the Armed Forces.

According to the Defence Minister, strategic direction, policy support, and capability development provided by the Ministry of Defence will ensure that the Armed Forces remain professional, responsive, and future-ready, while reinforcing institutional accountability and operational effectiveness.

“The Nigerian Army and indeed the Armed Forces have stabilized this country and will continue to do so. We must take these security challenges as our own and contribute individually and collectively to winning this war,” General Musa stated.

The 10th COAS Annual Conference, themed “Examine the Correct Landscape of Terrorism Through the Lengths of Diplomatic and Military Action: Strategies for Long-Term Prevention and Stabilization,”brings together senior commanders, security stakeholders, and resource persons to reflect on lessons learned, examine emerging threats, and propose practical measures to enhance operational readiness and effectiveness in the year ahead.

The Defence Minister concluded by thanking Nigerians for their support and the Governor of Lagos State for hosting the conference, noting that collaborative engagement between the government, security agencies, and citizens is key to sustaining national peace, security, and stability.

Defence Minister urges unity, actionable strategies at COAS 10th annual conference to consolidate Nigeria’s security gains

Mothers in Gombe laud campaign to reduce maternal, infant mortality

Some mothers in Gombe have commended the state government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on the inauguration of integrated health campaign to reduce maternal and infant mortality in the state.

They gave the commendation in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday during an inspection visit by journalists to various healthcare facilities within Gombe metropolis.

NAN reports that recently, the Gombe State Government inaugurated a five-day National Immunisation Plus Days campaign in collaboration with the Federal Government and UNICEF, with support from other donors.

The event, inaugurated in Swa community and Balanga Local Government Area, also marked the launch of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW), targetting 832,427 children and 214,126 pregnant women in the state.

A mother of two, Mrs Hauwa Gambo, said the campaign made it possible for her to access healthcare together with her children, who were also going to be vaccinated for polio.

Gambo said that visiting Gidan Magani Health Facility, once for their health needs, had saved her transportation cost and the stress of going to the facility more than once.

“I commend the state government, UNICEF and all partners for integrating the campaign; its impact will help to reduce maternal and infant death, as well as under-five deaths, ‘’ she said.

An expectant mother at Madaki Health Facility, Aisha Ibrahim, worried over high cost of the needed nutrients and requirements for babies to grow healthy during pregnancy, expressed gratitude over the supplements provided by UNICEF in partnership with the state government.

Ibrahim said “the supplements are good for the health of pregnant women. Before now, I have been wanting to get the supplements which contain all the required nutrients for a healthy pregnancy, but I could not get them because they are expensive.

“Thank God we got the supplement free and the money saved from buying some of these essential nutrients can now be used to buy more food.”

Another mother of three and expecting her fourth, Aisha Muhammad, said she had been accessing free healthcare at the Madaki facility and she never had complications when giving birth or after birth.

She said all her children were taking their routine immunisation and had not been falling ill like their peers in the community.

“I encourage mothers and pregnant women to come out with their children and take advantage of the ongoing campaign toward improving the health of women and children in the state”, she said.

Other mothers who shared similar sentiments called for more awareness on the importance of embracing such campaign on the health of mothers and their children.

Mothers in Gombe laud campaign to reduce maternal, infant mortality

Troops neutralise kidnapper, arrest informants in Plateau

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, operating under the Joint Task Force, Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), have neutralised a suspected kidnapper, arrested three informants and recovered arms and ammunition during an operation in Plateau State.

The operation followed reports of simultaneous kidnapping incidents at Dong Community in Jos North Local Government Area in the early hours of Monday.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the troops responded swiftly to the distress calls and made contact with the kidnappers during the operation, leading to the neutralisation of one of the suspects.

Items recovered from the neutralised kidnapper include one AK-47 rifle, a magazine and four rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition.

The suspect was later identified as a resident of the community, who was allegedly operating with the kidnapping syndicate from within the area.

The sources added that troops also arrested three persons suspected to be informants providing support and intelligence to the kidnappers.

The souces said the arrested suspects, along with the recovered arms and ammunition, are currently in custody, while troops have launched follow-up operations to track and arrest the fleeing members of the kidnapping gang.

The military reassured residents of Plateau State of its commitment to safeguarding lives and property, and urged members of the public to continue to provide timely and credible information to security agencies to aid ongoing operations.

Troops neutralise kidnapper, arrest informants in Plateau