Instability in Lake Chad, Sahel worsening Nigeria's insecurity - Says Army chief

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede

By Daniel Abia

PORT HARCOURT — The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has attributed Nigeria’s security challenges to instability in the Lake Chad Basin, the Sahel region and the Gulf of Guinea, stressing the need for innovative strategies to address evolving threats.

Speaking at the Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2026 lecture in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Army Chief said the country’s security environment had become increasingly complex and required fresh approaches to safeguard lives and property.

He noted that Nigeria continues to contend with insurgency, terrorism, banditry, cybercrime, transnational organised crime and resource-related conflicts, alongside the proliferation of small arms, porous borders and the exploitation of ethnic and religious divisions.