Long-term success against terrorism, insurgency, and other internal security challenges bedevilling the country requires a whole-of-government approach and not just a military solution, Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has said.

The Chief of Defence Staff stated this in Jaji Military Cantonment Wednesday night as Special Guest of Honour at the Regimental Dinner organised in honour of the graduating students of Senior Course 43 of Armed Forces Command and Staff College.

Defence Chief further noted that the military cannot use old tools and tactics to defeat asymmetric warfare like banditry, kidnapping, as well as terrorism and insurgency by Boko Haram, hence, the need to acquire new platforms and capability to address threats.

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The Army General noted that the involvement of the military in containing asymmetric security threats in the past few years has highlighted the need to acquire the new operational capability of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to deal with emergent threats.

To him, “Nigeria as a nation is currently contending with several asymmetric threats. The most visible of these threats is the terrorism and insurgency by Boko Haram in the North-East. Equally disturbing is the herders-farmers conflicts in some parts of the country, which recently have attained a worrisome dimension with different interpretations of the causes of the conflict and personalities involved.

“This is coupled with other varying acts of criminalities that are characterised by banditry, kidnapping among others. The involvement of the armed forces in the management of such internal crises requires a complex interplay of many factors.

“I wish to inform you that the transformation to a desired set of capabilities that will enable us to deal with changing threats in our country continues. As tactical level commanders, you have a very unique role to play in the consolidation of these new capabilities through training and continuous education of both yourselves and your men.

“It has become common knowledge that long-term success against terrorism and insurgency, and indeed other internal security challenges require a whole-of-government approach and not just a military solution.

“The actions of the military merely serve to create the necessary conditions for other agencies of government to function in the restoration of long-term peace and security to the crises areas. In providing this much needed secured environment, you must understand and appreciate the important roles of other security agencies in the overall security architecture,” the CDS said.