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Army Partners US To Establish Special Operation Command

As part of the government efforts in the fight against insurgency, the Nigerian Army has established a Special Operation Unit. The unit, known as the … Continue reading Army Partners US To Establish Special Operation Command


As part of the government efforts in the fight against insurgency, the Nigerian Army has established a Special Operation Unit.

The unit, known as the Nigerian Army Special Operation Command, was established with assistance of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).

The establishment of the new command was announced at a workshop on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism in Abuja.

The command was designed as a low level strategy to combat the threat of Boko Haram insurgency.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim, said that the special operation command was an effort to boost the transformation of the Nigerian Army into a force capable of meeting contemporary security challenges.

As a low level command, coupled with the lessons learnt from their US counterpart, the Nigerian Army expects  that the new command will contribute greatly in the fight against insurgency.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, had in May 2013 disclosed the plan to establish the Unit.

Ihejirika disclosed it at a seminar on Nigerian Army Transformation in Abuja.

“The army is expanding in many ways to face the current security challenges,” he said.

The chief of army staff  said: “We are going to have a standing special operation unit that will transform to a special operation brigade in collaboration with AFRICOM’’.

He said the army would also establish an Army Headquarters Reserve Battalion to be known as 101 Battalion.

“We are just putting finishing touches as they have been equipped with 50 per cent of their basic requirements, and their strength is 100 per cent. It will be lead by a colonel, supported by 25 other officers.’’

The army chief said that the army had agreed to set up an Army Virtual War College, as part of its personnel development programme.