Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, on Tuesday announced that special forces will soon be deployed to Kwara State and parts of Niger State under the newly activated Operation Savannah Shield to tackle rising banditry and terrorism in the North-Central.

Speaking during the 2025 budget appraisal and defence of the 2026 proposal before the House Committee on Defence, the CDS revealed that resources are being pulled from other theatres to reinforce the operation.

He disclosed that elite special forces have already been sent to Benue and Plateau states, while the new Joint Task Force will specifically cover Kwara and Niger.

General Oluyede stressed that the Armed Forces cannot sustain peace alone due to manpower shortages and constant troop movements, urging urgent strengthening of the Nigeria Police Force and NSCDC to hold cleared territories.

"The soldiers hardly have rest because we don't have the numbers. That is why strengthening the police and civil defence is critical," he said.

He added that Nigeria is collaborating with allied countries to close intelligence gaps while safeguarding national sovereignty.

Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Rep. Babajimi Benson, insisted that security challenges require more than kinetic operations, calling for institutional reforms, better inter-agency coordination, accountability, and adequate funding to translate allocations into tangible results.