By Tonye Apiri
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, on Wednesday expressed concern over the continued low number of young people from the South-East enlisting in the Nigerian Army.
Lt-Gen. Shaibu spoke at the passing-out parade for the first set of 90 regular recruits at the Nigerian Army Recruit Training Depot in Amasiri-Edda, Ebonyi State.
He said recruitment slots allocated to the South-East have remained largely unfilled for years, describing the situation as worrisome.
The Army Chief urged traditional rulers, parents, community leaders, and other stakeholders in the region to mobilise eligible youths to take advantage of available enlistment opportunities.
“Military service is not merely a career but an honourable calling that embodies patriotism, leadership and national service,” he said.
“We ask for your continued support because military service is very demanding. Please stand by them, encourage them and pray for them.
“To our hosts, the Ndigbo, I humbly appeal to you to encourage your youths to take their rightful place in the defence of our fatherland.
“For some time now, the recruitment quota allocated to this zone has not been fully utilised. This should not continue. Military service is not just a career but an honourable endeavour of patriotism, leadership and national contribution.
“I therefore urge community leaders, parents, guardians and elders across the South-East to encourage our young men and women to regard this depot as their own and step forward to serve the nation.”
Lt-Gen. Shaibu noted that the Amasiri-Edda depot, commissioned on November 25, 2025, is the Army’s third recruit training depot and the first primary training institution in the South-East.
He said its establishment shows the Federal Government’s commitment to national unity, inclusiveness, and balanced development.
He described the graduation of the pioneer batch as a key milestone in the Army’s transformation drive.
The 90 recruits are part of the first set of 14,000 personnel under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Strategic Force Expansion Initiative. The initiative, which targets 28,000 new recruits in total, is aimed at boosting Army strength and improving capacity to tackle terrorism, insurgency, banditry, separatist violence and other security threats.
“I wish to express my profound appreciation to His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for providing the strategic direction for the establishment of this Recruit Training Depot as part of efforts to expand the Nigerian Army’s manpower base and for approving the resources required for its successful take-off,” Lt-Gen. Shaibu added.
Speaking to the new soldiers, the COAS warned them to strictly follow the Army’s social media policy and respect human rights during operations.
He cautioned against the rising misuse of social media by troops, saying it poses serious risks to operations and the institution.
“A growing trend of indiscretion on social media has had serious consequences for our personnel.
“The unauthorised posting of operational information, images of military activities, sensitive locations, as well as the dissemination of unverified and misleading content, constitutes a serious breach of extant military regulations.
“Let me be clear: violations of the Nigerian Army’s social media policy can and will attract disciplinary measures, including dismissal from service where necessary.
“The implications of such misconduct are far-reaching. For the individual soldier, it represents the loss of career, honour and livelihood. For the Nigerian Army, it undermines discipline, operational security, morale and institutional credibility,” he stated.
Out of the 3,011 recruits that began training at the depot, 2,989 completed the rigorous programme and passed out successfully.