OSOGBO, Nigeria — The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reinforced the combat readiness of the military by deploying over 8,000 newly trained soldiers following their official graduation from the Depot Nigerian Army in Osogbo, Osun State.
The Passing Out Parade took place on Saturday, June 27, 2026, marking a significant manpower boost aimed at scaling up ongoing tactical operations against terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping across the country.
Okay News reports that the graduation is part of a larger directive by President Bola Tinubu for the Nigerian Army to recruit 28,000 additional personnel to optimize its force structure. Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu noted that the intake is strategically designed to address immediate manpower requirements and improve the military’s capacity to respond decisively to contemporary national security threats.
Shaibu affirmed that the new recruits completed rigorous physical and tactical training tailored for modern warfare, urging them to uphold strict discipline and respect for human rights as they deploy to various theatres of operation. Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who was represented at the event by his deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi, congratulated the graduating personnel and reaffirmed the state government’s continuous support for the armed forces in their mission to restore long-term regional stability.
