Former Air Force spokesperson advises government to address existing military shortcomings before establishing additional units

Group Captain Sadeeq Shehu, a retired Nigerian Air Force spokesman, has urged the Federal Government to rectify existing shortcomings within the military before implementing plans to establish four new divisions of the Nigerian Army, which would bring the total number of divisions from eight to 12.

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President Bola Tinubu recently approved the establishment of these additional divisions, which are slated to be located in Makurdi, Benue State; Ilorin, Kwara State; Jalingo, Taraba State; and Benin City, Edo State, with the goal of providing a command structure for the recruitment of 28,000 new personnel and bolstering military presence in vulnerable areas.

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The new formations are expected to enhance operational coordination against security threats, but Shehu believes that the expansion should only occur after the armed forces have assessed and addressed deficiencies in personnel and equipment across existing formations.

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During an interview on ARISE NEWS on Monday, Shehu emphasized the need to address existing gaps, stating that the priority should be to fix the existing shortcomings before determining the need for additional divisions.

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Shehu noted that Nigeria requires a larger military due to its security challenges, territorial size, population, and regional responsibilities, but argued that the current operational readiness of the eight existing divisions should be evaluated before adding new ones.

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The retired officer pointed out that concerns over overstretched troops and equipment shortages have already been raised, making it essential to evaluate the condition of existing formations before creating new ones, and that every military formation should meet established standards for personnel and equipment to function effectively.

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Shehu cautioned that military formations should not be created based on political considerations, emphasizing that allowing politics to influence decisions on the location or creation of military formations would not benefit the military or the country.

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He stressed that the combination of personnel and equipment is crucial for a military formation to function properly, and that the current status of the eight existing divisions should be assessed before considering the addition of new divisions.