Former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has asserted that Nigeria’s war against terrorism is not about needing more soldiers or policemen.
ThemomentNG reports that Chidoka made this known during an interview on Arise Television, emphasising the need for Nigeria to have Special and Forest Forces.
Chidoka stressed that President Bola Tinubu‘s emergency declaration to recruit more soldiers and policemen is a knee-jerk reaction, adding that it is a shame the country does not have Special Forces.
He said, “We have been at this since 2008 and should have a special force by now. We need a forest force, not more policemen and soldiers.
“President Bola Tinubu said boots on the ground, right? Declaring an emergency: 20,000 more policemen, 50,000 soldiers, or something. New soldiers to be recruited, NYSC camps to be used.
“But I think that is a knee-jerk reaction. I don’t think Nigeria’s war with terrorism has to do with more police or more soldiers. It is a shame that we have not gone to produce special forces against terrorism.
“When Colombia faced this problem, they created the Jungle Force, a specialized unit trained and supported by the U.S. Navy. They had helicopters, their own intelligence system, and a strike force.
“We don’t need more soldiers or police, because if you look at the police budget of 2025, it’s over 1.2 trillion naira, of which about 1.1 trillion is for salaries. Only 97 billion, or thereabout, is for overhead.”
