The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has directed troops of the 4 Special Forces Command to intensify and sustain high-impact operations aimed at decisively defeating terrorists and insurgents across Nigeria, declaring an end to reactive engagements in the country’s security campaign.
A statement issued by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, confirmed that the directive was delivered during the COAS’s maiden operational visit to the 4 Special Forces Command and the Nigerian Army Special Forces School in Doma on Tuesday.
Addressing officers and soldiers, the Army Chief described the Nigerian Army Special Forces as central to ongoing efforts to dismantle and neutralise criminal networks threatening national security.
He emphasised that precision-driven, intelligence-led operations must define the force’s posture, urging troops to remain proactive, adaptive, and mission-focused in an evolving battlespace that demands speed, surprise, and superior combat readiness.
Lieutenant General Shaibu reaffirmed that the era of reactive responses is over, warning that terrorists and violent criminal elements would find no sanctuary anywhere within Nigeria’s territory under the Army’s renewed operational tempo.
Earlier, the COAS received operational briefings from the Commander, 4 Special Forces Command, Major General Olurotimi Azubuike Awolo, and the Commandant, Nigerian Army Special Forces School, Brigadier General Umar Faruk Abubakar. Following the assessment, he approved the immediate construction of additional accommodation blocks and critical facilities to strengthen training capacity, operational efficiency, and troop welfare.
Reiterating his command philosophy, the Army Chief assured personnel that the welfare of soldiers and their families remains a leadership priority, stressing that a professionally grounded and well-supported force is essential to sustaining operational dominance. He pledged continued investment in training, logistics, and modern combat enablers to ensure the Special Forces maintain superiority over adversaries.
The visit concluded with a tree-planting exercise within the cantonment, signalling a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable development within Nigerian Army formations.