Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, has praised personnel of the Nigerian Army’s 4 Brigade for their discipline, professionalism and operational performance in supporting security across Edo State, while pledging upgrades to accommodation, transport and healthcare provision.
Key takeaways
- Shaibu made his first operational visit to the 4 Brigade headquarters in Benin City on Friday.
- The Army chief said soldiers’ housing would be renovated and the brigade would receive a new bus.
- He reiterated plans to ensure working medical facilities for personnel and their families, including children.
- Troops were instructed to uphold the law, safeguard civilians and take firm action against criminals.
- Brigadier General Ahmed Balogun said the formation remains committed to preserving security gains in Edo State.
Welfare measures tied to operational readiness
During the visit, Shaibu told officers and soldiers that the Army would make arrangements to improve their living environment through the refurbishment of accommodation facilities. The aim, he said, was to provide more suitable and comfortable housing for personnel.
He also committed to supplying a bus to the brigade, addressing transport constraints that have affected its operations and personnel movement.
The Army chief said the Nigerian Army remained focused on providing functional healthcare infrastructure for soldiers and their households. This commitment includes access to medical services for their children.
Shaibu described troop welfare as central to military performance and a core element of his “Soldiers First” programme. Better conditions for personnel, he indicated, are necessary to sustain operational capability.
At the same time, he asked the troops to match the institution’s welfare commitments with discipline, professional conduct, loyalty and full dedication to their assignments.
Conduct, cooperation and Edo security operations
Shaibu directed the brigade’s personnel to carry out missions in line with the law, uphold civilians’ rights and protect innocent residents. He said criminal actors within the brigade’s area of responsibility should be confronted decisively.
He credited the 4 Brigade’s conduct and operational results with helping rebuild public trust in the Nigerian Army. The Army chief also commended the brigade commander for his leadership and for maintaining productive coordination with other security services and relevant stakeholders.
Such inter-agency engagement, Shaibu said, reflects the strategic cooperation component of his command approach.
Earlier, Brigadier General Ahmed Balogun, commander of the 4 Brigade, received the Army chief and provided an update on security conditions within the formation’s area of responsibility. His presentation also outlined administrative and logistics-related constraints facing the brigade.
Balogun thanked Shaibu for visiting and for the pledges on welfare improvements. He said the brigade’s officers and soldiers would continue working to protect existing security advances and reinforce operational progress in Edo State.
The programme included an entry in the visitors’ book, the exchange of souvenirs, a tree-planting activity and group photographs.
