By Abdul Lauya
The Nigerian Army has announced plans to set up a new battalion in Katsina State, a move seen as direct response to pressure from Katsina lawmakers who recently met with top military chiefs in Abuja.
The decision followed a closed-door meeting between the lawmakers and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, alongside the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, where urgent calls were made for more boots on the ground.
In a joint statement, the lawmakers said the insecurity in Katsina had overwhelmed current deployments, stressing that rural communities were left exposed to bandits who now attack with greater boldness.
They appealed to President Bola Tinubu to approve more resources for the Army, insisting that the scale of killings demanded extra support beyond what is currently available in the state.
The move comes barely a day after Eye Reporters revealed how Katsina lawmakers stormed Abuja to extract firm commitments from the Defence and Army chiefs over the worsening security crisis.
The delegation also praised Governor Dikko Radda’s efforts but reminded the Federal Government that the recent massacre in Gidan Mantau, Malumfashi, where dozens were killed, underscored the urgency of stronger military presence.
At the forefront of the push was Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, whose rise to head such a “Grade A” committee, despite being a first-time senator, defied the Senate’s own rules that usually favour ranking members.
In his response, Lieutenant General Oluyede assured the lawmakers that a full battalion will soon be deployed to Katsina, promising tighter security cover for communities across the troubled region.
Analysts point out that Yar’Adua’s appointment as Chairman of Senate Committee on Army reflects Nigeria’s culture of rewarding political dynasties, as his late brothers, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, once held the nation’s top positions as President and Vice President.
But the push for fresh battalions in every troubled corner of the country raises hard questions about sustainability: with fewer than 200,000 soldiers for over 200 million citizens, Nigeria already runs a thinly stretched Army operating under a lean budget and plagued by institutional corruption.
Security experts warn that if every community or hamlet demands its own battalion, the Army could end up overstretched and ineffective, leaving the root causes of insecurity, poverty, weak policing, and poor, governance, unaddressed while soldiers are scattered across the countryside.
Yet, the bigger test for Nigeria remains whether military expansion alone can deliver peace in a nation where political privilege too often outruns genuine security reform.
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