CDS seeks civilian support, intelligence sharing to tackle terrorism

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has called for the support of civilians and host communities in the fight against terrorism. Oluyede made the call while speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the 2026 Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) annual retreat on Tuesday in Abuja. According to Oluyede, there is a need for jointness and synergy among all key security stakeholders.

Oluyede, whose philosophy for security lays heavy emphasis on synergy, said that jointness goes beyond inter-agency cooperation and also includes the civilians and communities. “It is important for us to continue to emphasise jointness because no single service can do the job alone, it requires a collective effort.” He said the armed forces are collectively doing their very best to make Nigeria safer, adding that what they require from Nigerians are support, prayers and intelligence reports.

“If you see anything, you should tell us because everything we’re doing relies on intelligence, and for that, we need community support,” he said. He said the support provided by Nigerians would aid push the country forward on all fronts. He assured Nigerians that things would continue to get better. (NAN)