Army Says It Needs More Fund To Sustain Ongoing Operations

The Nigerian Army says it requires more funds to sustain its ongoing operations against terrorists, kidnappers, and other criminal elements across the country.

Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant general Farouk Yahaya, gave this indication on Tuesday, while defending Army’s N600 billion budgetary allocation in the proposed 2023 budget, before a committee of the House of Representatives.

According to him, the manpower requirement of the army in the process of the extension of its operations beyond the north east region, has increased.

The army chief told the lawmakers that the enveloped based budget could no longer sustain the tempo of the onslaught of the army against insurgents and other violent crimes.

For instance, Yahaya explained that the army division structures have increased from five to eight in the ongoing implementation of the phases of army’s order of battle 2026.

Meanwhile, defence minister, retired major General Bashir Maigashi has said there was more to the recent alert issued by the US and UK embassies on likely terrorist attacks in the federal capital territory.

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The minister says there is the need for extra vigilance, following the terror alert, because federal government believes that there will be no fire without smoke.

Maigashi spoke on the issue during the 2023 budget defence organized by the house of representatives committee on defence.

He told the lawmakers that the alert on the likely terrorists attacks was discussed during the last meeting of the national security council, presided over by President Buhari.

According to the minister, Federal Government is taking precautionary measures by beefing up security in Abuja and its environs.