President Bola Tinubu has given the go-ahead for a new army depot to be sited in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, as part of efforts to bolster security nationwide.
With this approval, the army will now have three depots, with the new facility joining the existing ones in Kaduna and Osogbo, which have been operational for many years.
The announcement was made on Saturday by Dada Olusegun, the president’s Special Assistant on Social Media, through a post on X.
He stated that the new depot will enhance the strength and operational capabilities of the army in addressing various security challenges across the country.
In a video statement, Chief of Army Staff, Major General Waidi Shaibu emphasized the necessity of this initiative due to security threats present in all geopolitical zones.
He revealed that 3,500 new troops will be trained at the Abakaliki depot, with an additional 3,500 soldiers expected to arrive from Osogbo next week for further training.
Read also:
- COAS places high premium on training, retraining of personnel – GOC
- Zulum launches relief distribution for Maiduguri flood victims
- Kenyan MPs accuse British soldiers of sexual abuse, environmental destruction
Shaibu noted that the soldiers will receive advanced infantry training before being deployed to various operational areas.
He mentioned that modern technology, including indoor shooting ranges, will be utilized to improve shooting precision and combat readiness.
The army chief highlighted that the new depot will enhance the army’s capacity to respond to threats and improve overall security operations across the nation.
This approval followed a briefing by the army chief to Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, regarding the current security situation in the country.
After his recent visit to the North East, Shaibu described ongoing military operations as satisfactory and assured Nigerians that security is expected to improve in the coming weeks.
