The Senate on Wednesday confirmed the newly appointed service chiefs, clearing the way for a change in the nation’s military leadership after a brief plenary session.
The exercise began after Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate Leader, moved a motion to allow visitors into the chamber. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presided, called the session to order, and the confirmations proceeded.
President Bola Tinubu had written to the Senate on Tuesday, seeking the expedited consideration of nominees to ensure continuity and effective coordination of the nation’s security architecture.
Those nominated for confirmation were General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General Waheedi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Vice-Marshal Kennedy Aneke as Chief of Air Staff.
The service chiefs arrived at the National Assembly complex earlier in the day, accompanied by senior military officers.
During his screening, Major General Olufemi Oluyede, the Chief of Defence Staff-designate, urged the development of a local military industrial complex and the restructuring of the Nigeria Police Force to strengthen the country’s fight against insecurity.
Oluyede argued that continued dependence on foreign suppliers for military hardware is unsustainable.
“For Nigeria to move forward, we must develop our own local military industrial complex,” he said.
“We can’t keep buying equipment from outside because these things are extremely expensive.
“The country must build its capacity to produce the equipment required to prosecute wars and address the security challenges facing us.”
Oluyede warned that insecurity in Nigeria has become more complex, citing terrorism, banditry, cyberattacks, and misinformation, and called for a broader national response rather than placing the burden solely on the military.
“In doing better, it requires a whole-of-society approach.
“Everybody must be involved. It shouldn’t be left to the military alone to prosecute and face all these challenges,” he said.
He also emphasised the need to strengthen the police, noting that many internal security tasks currently handled by the army fall within the police’s mandate.
He stated, “Most of the job currently being carried out by the military falls within the purview of the police.”
He added, “It’s important for the nation to empower the police, make it stronger and more formidable, so that they can do their job while we concentrate on defending Nigeria against external aggression.”
Oluyede further underscored the importance of improving soldiers’ welfare, describing military service as a unique form of sacrifice.
“There’s something special about being a soldier. It entails sacrificing your life for others to live.
“When there’s danger, a right-thinking person retreats, but a soldier goes forward to face it,” he said.
He acknowledged, however, that limited resources have constrained efforts to improve the welfare of troops and their families.
Following his presentation, the Senate unanimously approved Oluyede’s nomination, allowing him to “take a bow and go.”
The decision followed a motion by Opeyemi Bamidele, noting that Oluyede was screened last year for the position of Chief of Army Staff, following the death of Taoreed Lagbaja.
Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, the new Chief of Naval Staff, told the Senate that re-radicalisation programmes for repentant criminals would be reviewed. He urged that affected families be consulted before any amnesty is granted.
“If I may advise before such is done, if families have been identified that have lost their members through those people, there is a need to contact them, talk with them, if they accept, for those people to be granted that amnesty after the radicalisation.
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“We already have our total spectrum maritime strategy which covers various areas of our operations so we are looking at that and one of the challenges that we are faced with now is that of kidnapping, banditry, oil theft so the total spectrum maritime strategy of the Nigerian navy takes care of these various layers of challenges and my belief is we cannot do it alone and hence we have to work together.”
He added, “It is a whole of society approach and particularly for us, the armed forces, we have to synergise whether we like it or not, that is the only way out that we can get out of the problems our country is facing.”
Air Vice-Marshal Kennedy Aneke said he would wage a professional and determined campaign against threats to the nation’s airspace and assets.
“I have intention to fight professionally and deadly. “I intend to synergize with the Navy to bring a combat-ready Air Force. We will respond swiftly and intelligently, combining technology.
“Aviation is an expensive biz. $1.2bn in aviation is like a spoon.
“Tucanos are doing what they have been paid to do. They are extremely expensive and are located mostly in the North East and North West.
“Those airplanes are flying.’ They are fighting. They are not grounded.”
The confirmations bring the new leadership into office as security challenges persist across multiple fronts, with the Senate emphasising the need for coordination between the services and other security agencies to protect the nation.
