Nigeria has unveiled a plan to deploy thousands of military veterans to secure “ungoverned spaces”—remote areas where state authority is weak and criminal gangs often thrive.
The Ministry of Defence announced on Wednesday that an 18-member committee has been tasked with integrating retired personnel into the national security architecture. The move is designed to alleviate the pressure on overstretched frontline troops while providing a new lease of life for the country’s ex-servicemen.
The initiative marks a strategic pivot for the government as it seeks to move beyond purely military offensives toward a community-based security model that addresses the root causes of rural instability.
Securing the hinterland
Large swathes of Nigeria’s rural landscape, particularly in the North-West and North-Central regions, are currently classified as “ungoverned.” These forests and borderlands have become havens for bandits, kidnappers, and extremist groups.
The Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Musa (retd), stated that deploying veterans—men and women with years of combat experience—will help bring these areas under “effective oversight and development.”
The committee’s primary objectives include:
- Securing Remote Areas: Deploying veterans to provide a permanent security presence in vulnerable communities.
- Boosting Local Economy: Reclaiming land for farming and mining to ensure these areas become economically viable.
- Veteran Welfare: Repositioning the Nigerian Legion to ensure retirees are reintegrated into society through productive roles.
‘Intelligence and trust’
General Musa, represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Richard Pheelangwa, argued that retirees are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between the military and local residents.
“The integration of veterans would enhance local ownership, improve intelligence gathering, and foster trust between communities and the state,” the Minister said.
By using veterans as a “second tier” of security, the government hopes to create a sustainable “hold-and-build” strategy—where the regular military clears a territory of criminals, and the veterans remain behind to maintain order and support local development.
A solution for overstretched troops
The Nigerian military is currently deployed in almost every state of the federation, battling an insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, and separatist unrest in the South-East.
Security experts have long warned that the army is “dangerously overstretched.” Calls for the formal involvement of retired soldiers have grown louder in recent years, with proponents arguing that it is a waste of human capital to have thousands of trained personnel sitting idle while the country faces a security crisis.
The new committee includes representatives from the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Nigerian Legion. They are expected to produce a roadmap for deployment and funding in the coming weeks.
The success of this plan will depend on how the veterans are armed and commanded.
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