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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions and authorised the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel in a major restructuring aimed at strengthening the country’s security architecture and enhancing military operations nationwide.

The Presidency said the move is part of the administration’s broader efforts to improve the operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces in response to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the expansion builds on the Tinubu administration’s sustained investments in the Armed Forces, including the acquisition of critical military platforms and equipment, improved troop welfare, force modernisation and enhanced operational readiness.

‘The approval underscores the President’s unwavering commitment to equipping the Armed Forces to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges effectively and to strengthen national defence capabilities further’, the statement said.

Under the new structure, the Nigerian Army will operate 12 divisions strategically spread across the country.

The existing formations include the 1 Division in Kaduna, covering Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states; the 2 Division in Ibadan, responsible for Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo; the 3 Division in Jos, covering Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe; the 6 Division in Port Harcourt, covering Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River; the 7 Division in Maiduguri, responsible for Borno and Yobe; the 8 Division in Sokoto, covering Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara; the 81 Division in Lagos, covering Lagos and Ogun; and the 82 Division in Enugu, responsible for Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states.

Four new divisions will be created under the restructuring.

They are the 5 Division in Makurdi, which will oversee Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states; the 9 Division in Ilorin, covering Kwara and Niger; the 10 Division in Jalingo, responsible for Taraba and Adamawa; and the 83 Division in Benin City, which will oversee Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.

The Presidency said the creation of the new divisions would significantly improve command and control, decentralise operational decision-making, strengthen border security, enhance the protection of critical national infrastructure and improve counter-insurgency as well as other internal security operations.

It added that the restructuring would also enable faster military responses to emerging security threats across the country.

Implementation of the new force structure will be carried out in two phases.

According to the Presidency, the first phase, which includes the establishment of the 5, 9 and 10 divisions alongside the reorganisation of existing formations, is expected to be completed by September 2026.

The second phase, involving the establishment of the 83 Division and further organisational restructuring, is scheduled for completion by December 2026.

President Tinubu commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Ibrahim Shuaibu, as well as officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army for what he described as their dedication, professionalism and steadfast commitment to defending the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustained investment in the Armed Forces to ensure they remain adequately equipped, highly motivated and fully capable of protecting Nigeria and guaranteeing the safety and security of its citizens.

The latest expansion represents one of the most significant reorganisations of the Nigerian Army in recent years and comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to tackle terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other security threats across different parts of the country.

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has inaugurated a Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and signed an executive order targeting thuggery and other violent crimes, to protect youths and restore public order.

This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the governor’s spokesman, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.

According to Tofa, Yusuf while speaking at the inauguration said drug abuse was an urgent threat to Kano’s young population, warning that it fuels violent crime, destroys families, weakens the economy and erodes social stability.

‘The future of our youth is under attack. We cannot fold our arms while drugs continue to destroy lives and fuel insecurity in our communities,’ he said.

The taskforce will coordinate the state’s response through intelligence gathering, enforcement operations, public enlightenment, rehabilitation and collaboration with security agencies and other stakeholders.

Yusuf said his administration would equip the taskforce with adequate funding, operational vehicles, office accommodation, logistics and security backing, and guaranteed its operational independence.

He said the state has already established separate rehabilitation centres for male and female victims of drug abuse and would continue expanding facilities to support recovery and reintegration.

The governor said the executive order against thuggery provided a stronger legal framework to dismantle criminal gangs, curb political violence and support security agencies in maintaining law and order across the state’s 44 local government areas.

He urged residents to support the taskforce by providing credible information, stressing that tackling drug abuse and thuggery required collective action.

‘I am confident that the combined implementation of this executive order and the work of the taskforce will significantly reduce drug-related crimes and make Kano safer, more peaceful and more prosperous,’ Yusuf said.

Taskforce chairman, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, thanked the governor for the confidence reposed in the committee and assured that members would discharge their duties with integrity and zero tolerance for compromise, working with security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, civil society groups, schools and community leaders.

Faith leaders has launched a new Interfaith Code of Conduct aimed at stamping out hate speech, misinformation and preventing election-related violence as Nigeria heads toward the 2027 polls.

This is just as faith leaders show growing anxiety over the potential for hate speech and misinformation to trigger widespread violence during the 2027 election cycle as they emphasis the need to confront rising ethnic and political tensions.

The document was unveiled at the 8th General Assembly and Peace Conference of the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP) held in Abuja under the theme, ‘Hate speech and violence: role of state and non-state actors in nation-building.

Speaking to the gathering of religious leaders, government representatives, civil society and international partners, the keynote speaker Prof. Abubakar Sadeeque Abba of the University of Abuja criticized the Nigerian state and corporate actors for failing to enforce laws and hold accountable those who promote hate speech, which he described as a tool for political, economic, and social advancement.

Abba noted that some individuals appear to be above the law, allowing such activities to thrive warning that no nation can develop under such conditions.

With elections approaching and campaigns for the electionsset to begin soon, Abba advised political actors to engage professionals for effective campaign messaging rather than inflammatory rhetoric urging Nigerian citizens to reject politicians who promote hate speech, saying they should be shown the way out.

Imam Shafiu Abdul Karim Majemu, co-secretary of the IDFP, said religious leaders are often contracted to incite followers during election periods because of their massive influence stressing that sermons must promote truth and non-violence.

Majemu backed capacity building for faith leaders over direct sanctions, noting that punishing popular religious figures is practically difficult.

The Interfaith Code of Conduct (ICoC), developed over six years, contains ten shared values for Christians and Muslims, with strong emphasis on preventing hate speech and blasphemy.

Senior Programme Manager for the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Inter-Religious and Inter-Cultural Dialogue (KAICIID), Agustin Nunez-Vicandi said the centre has supported the initiative to equip religious actors to combat divisive rhetoric.

He said that he believes the Interfaith Code of Conduct would go a long way in curtailing hate-speech, misinformation and violence incisive statements.

In his address, the co-Chairman of the gathering, Reverend Abanitud Hamman Akila described the gathering as a moment of renewal and called on state and non-state actors to promote responsible communication and reject hatred, ethnic subjugation and political violence.

He stressed for the need for every citizen of the country to affirm their collective commitment to peace, unity, stability, and development of our nation, Nigeria.

‘We gather at a time when our country continues to face complex challenges, religious intolerance, ethnic subjugation, plain speech, misinterpretation, insecurities, violence, exclusion, political tension, and social division.

‘These challenges remind us that peace cannot be taken for granted. Peace must be built, peace must be protected, peace must be mutual, and peace must be defended by responsible citizens, responsible leaders, and responsible institutions.’

He noted that hate speech speech can become a weapon as it can exorcise issues, dehumanise people, mobilise communities against one another and can create conditions for violence stressing that the fight against hate speech is a responsibility that everyone must all perform.

‘Religious leaders must promote peace from the truth and the lies. Traditional leaders must continue to build bridges between their communities. Civil society organisations must strengthen peace, education, and community engagement in the media and promote responsible journalism.

‘Social media users must reject the spread of homophobic information and inflammatory messages. Young people must be empowered to promote a consciousness of peace rather than against human violence. And every citizen must understand that nation-building engages with individual responsibility’, Alike stated.

The code was publicly launched with representatives of grand patrons, the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar and the Christian Association of Nigeria President Archbishop Daniel Okoh and it is expected to be shared among every religious groups and associations across the country.

Coalition of All Progressives Congress (APC) members and stakeholders, under the agies of Coalition for Oyo APC Renewal (COAR) has demanded urgent resolution into crisis rocking the party in the state.

The stakeholders, who are worried about the state of the party in the state lamented that the controversy surrounding the party’s recent primary elections has created deep anger, suspicion and division.

COAR urged former Senate Leader and a Chieftain of the party, Senator Teslim Folarin to take in cognisance state of structures within the party, which according to them is currently burning.

In an open letter to Folarin by its Chairman, Hon. Rasak Raji Gbadamosi, and its Secretary, Surveyor Christopher Adewusi, COAR alleged that results of the partys primary election was not transparently declared, while candidates were being presented in circumstances that have left many aspirants and party members feeling cheated, ignored and politically disenfranchised.

According to COAR, instead of urgently resolving the crisis, the national leadership appears more interested in moving ahead as though nothing has happened, describing such move as a dangerous political miscalculation.

‘You cannot demand loyalty from members whose grievances you refuse to hear. You cannot ask aggrieved aspirants to mobilise for candidates they believe were imposed upon them. And you cannot build a presidential campaign on the ruins of a fractured party structure.

‘Let us be clear: if this crisis is not resolved, the consequences will go beyond the disputed primary elections.

‘There may be widespread anti-party activities, voter apathy, silent sabotage, rejection of unpopular candidates, defections, loss of grassroots mobilisation and a general collapse of enthusiasm for the APC.

‘Many aggrieved members may not openly defect or publicly campaign against the party. They may simply withdraw their support, remain at home on election day or quietly vote for alternatives.

‘The President must therefore be told the truth about Oyo State. A few meetings with selected individuals cannot erase the grievances of thousands of party members. The crisis cannot be solved by pretending that the party is united.’

COAR urged Folarin to use his access to President Tinubu Presidto demand urgent intervention in Oyo APC.

‘The way forward is clear: transparency in the declaration of primary election results, fair resolution of genuine grievances, an inclusive reconciliation process, and an end to the imposition of candidates without due process.

‘Senator Folarin, if you genuinely desire the success of President Tinubu in Oyo State, then your first assignment should not merely be to campaign for him. It should be to help save the party structure that is expected to deliver the votes.

‘No campaign machinery can replace angry party members. No slogan can substitute for trust. And no presidential candidate can expect maximum support from a state chapter whose members feel abandoned by their own party.

‘This is not a threat. It is a warning based on the political reality on the ground.

‘If the Oyo APC crisis remains unresolved, the 2027 elections may become a referendum-not only on the candidates presented by the party, but also on the impunity and injustice that party members believe they have suffered.

‘The President may still secure victory in Oyo State. The APC may still win the governorship and legislative elections. But that will only happen if the National Leadership acts decisively and urgently.

‘Ignore Oyo APC at your own political peril. The crisis must be resolved before the campaign begins-not after the party has lost the election.’