The federal government has announced plans to deploy retired military personnel into the vast ungoverned spaces as part of a new strategy to tackle worsening insecurity and revive economic activities in conflict-ravaged areas across the country.
The plan followed the inauguration of an 18-member committee by the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, mandated to reclaim ungoverned spaces for economic viability and to reposition the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires and military veterans within the country’s security architecture.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the Ministry of Defence, signed by the Deputy Director of Information, Enderline Chukwu, said the committee was inaugurated on Tuesday at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
The minister was represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary, Richard Pheelangwa.
Speaking during the inauguration, Musa said the deployment of the veterans would complement ongoing counter-insurgency and internal security operations, particularly in areas where government presence remains weak or non-existent.
According to him, the initiative signals a shift from what he described as an over-reliance on kinetic military operations to a broader and more sustainable security framework that integrates socio-economic development and community-based security.
“The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), has inaugurated an 18-man committee on reclaiming ungoverned spaces for economic viability and the repositioning of the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires and Veterans, as part of renewed efforts to strengthen veterans’ welfare and ensure their active participation in national security,” the statement read.
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Musa outlined three key terms of reference for the committee: repositioning the veteran community to support national economic development, deploying veterans to secure ungoverned spaces and bring them under effective oversight, and repositioning the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires to enhance operational effectiveness, improve reintegration of veterans, and strengthen their contribution to internal security.
He stressed that the federal government has a responsibility to ensure that retired military personnel who served the country with honour are not abandoned after retirement, but are empowered to live productive lives while continuing to contribute to national stability.
“Deliberate integration of veterans into security and development initiatives would enhance local ownership, improve intelligence gathering, and foster trust between communities and the state,” Musa was quoted as saying.
He urged members of the committee to adopt innovative, practical, and forward-looking approaches capable of producing actionable recommendations that would support a holistic strategy for securing ungoverned spaces, promoting inclusive growth, and sustaining peace.
The committee comprises representatives from the Joint Services Department of the Ministry of Defence, the Nigerian Legion, Defence Headquarters, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the army, navy, and air force, as well as officials from the offices of the minister of defence and minister of state for defence.
