The federal government has announced plans to deploy military veterans to help safeguard Nigeria’s ungoverned spaces as part of a strategy to boost national security and economic activity in conflict-affected areas.
This came after the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), established an 18-member committee charged with reclaiming ungoverned spaces for economic viability and repositioning the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires and Veterans.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Ministry’s Deputy Director of Information, Enderline Chukwu, on behalf of the Director of Information and Public Relations, the committee was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Abuja, with the minister represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Richard Pheelangwa.
Speaking at the occasion, Musa stated that deploying veterans into ungoverned places would supplement ongoing military operations by integrating experienced troops into local security and development activities, particularly in areas where state presence is limited.
According to the minister, the program represents a strategic shift away from an over-reliance on military offensives and toward a more inclusive and long-term approach to security that addresses the socioeconomic causes of instability.
“The Minister of Defence Gen. Christopher Musa (retd) has inaugurated an 18-man membership committee on ‘Reclaiming Ungoverned Spaces for Economic Viability and the Repositioning of the Nigerian Legion corps of Commissionaires and Veterans’ as part of a renewed effort to strengthen Veterans welfare and ensure active participation of military veterans in strengthening national security.
“The Minister reeled out the three terms of reference of the committee to include: (1) To reposition the veteran community to support national economic development. (2) To deploy veterans to secure ungoverned spaces and ensure that the areas are brought under effective oversight and development.
” (3) To reposition the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires, strengthen operational effectiveness, facilitate veterans’ reintegration, and promote their contribution to national security.”
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Musa emphasized that the initiative was part of the federal government’s commitment to ensuring that veterans who served the country with honor are empowered to live productive lives after retirement while still contributing to national stability.
“Deliberate integration of veterans into security and development initiatives would enhance local ownership, improve intelligence gathering, and foster trust between communities and the state,” he added.
He urged committee members to take innovative and forward-thinking ways to develop concrete proposals that would support a comprehensive plan for safeguarding ungoverned spaces, encouraging inclusive growth, and maintaining peace.
The group included members from the ministry’s Joint Services Department, the Nigerian Legion, Defence Headquarters, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as the offices of the Ministers of Defence and State for Defence.
Previously, there have been increased requests for the integration of military retirees into Nigeria’s security architecture in order to reduce reliance on overstretched serving members deployed throughout the country.
If fully implemented, the recent move by the defense minister could considerably lower the incidence of criminal activity in our ungoverned places around the country while also relieving the operational load on frontline troops and improving community-based security initiatives.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")