Tinubu’s Five-Year Defence Plan Ready , APC Says

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has announced that President Bola Tinubu’s proposed Five-Year Strategic Defence Operations Plan is ready, describing it as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s response to insecurity.

The council said the plan would improve the country’s security architecture, enhance military operations and provide a coordinated approach to tackling terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, the council explained that the framework was designed to align defence priorities, operational needs, military capabilities and spending with present and anticipated security threats.

It described the initiative as part of Tinubu’s efforts to establish a more coordinated, intelligence-driven, technology-supported and preventive security system.

The council also presented figures on the administration’s security operations over the past three years. According to the statement, more than 15,000 terrorists and bandits had been eliminated, while over 130,000 Boko Haram fighters and their dependants had surrendered through Operation Safe Corridor, the Federal Government’s rehabilitation programme for former insurgents.

It said the figures reflected the administration’s combination of military operations and non-military interventions in addressing insecurity.

On military expansion, the council disclosed that Tinubu had approved the creation of four additional Army divisions and the restructuring of existing formations to improve operational coverage and responses to security threats.

It added that the President had approved two new Army depots in Osogbo, Osun State, and Amasiri-Edda, Ebonyi State, to expand training capacity and speed up the recruitment of soldiers.

According to the council, each facility can train 6,000 recruits at a time, giving the two centres a combined capacity of 12,000. It said 5,210 recruits were currently undergoing training at the Osogbo facility.

The council stated that the additional training centres were expected to shorten recruitment periods and increase the number of soldiers available for deployment.

It further disclosed that Tinubu had approved the recruitment of 28,000 additional soldiers and 50,000 police officers to strengthen military operations and internal security.

On infrastructure and personnel welfare, the council said the administration was investing in military accommodation and operational facilities to improve the working and living conditions of security personnel.

It cited a 700-unit military barracks project in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, as one of the initiatives intended to provide suitable accommodation and essential facilities for military personnel.

The statement added that the proposed five-year plan would guide investments in intelligence, surveillance, military equipment and other security needs based on identified threats and operational priorities.

According to the council, the framework is expected to improve combat readiness, address capability gaps, make better use of available resources and reduce unnecessary expenditure.

It maintained that the plan forms part of the administration’s wider strategy to tackle insecurity through sustained investment in personnel, equipment, technology, training and infrastructure.