Lawan Calls for Bulk Purchases of Arms, Ammunition to Support Insurgency Fight

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Ahmed Lawan, has called for the bulk purchase of arms and ammunition to support the ongoing fight against insurgency and terrorism.

He said this would equip the military to discharge its constitutional responsibility of protecting the nation’s territorial integrity more effectively.

This was as the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, reiterated calls for intelligence-led and technology-driven operations by the military and other security agencies.

The former President of the Senate, who spoke at the 2026 annual conference and award ceremony of the Defence Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (DECAN), also urged the federal government to place the military and other security agencies on the first-line charge.

“We all know constitutionally that the security and welfare of citizens are the essence of government. Therefore, we will continue to support the military and other security agencies to ensure that the resources available to us are made available to our security agencies and armed forces.

“Let me, at this point, suggest that as we receive more and more revenue especially outside the war effort, I think we need to acquire more platforms and weapons and make purchases in bulk.

“Maybe we need to dedicate a certain percentage of our resources to arming our armed forces and other security agencies to safeguard this country.

“I believe that this is one way of ensuring that our armed forces receive better support because you cannot send someone out to fight with inadequate resources and, of course, expect much success. But credit to our armed forces and other security agencies, they are still doing very well.

“But I believe that we need to give you a lot more. That is why the National Assembly is considering placing the budgets of the armed forces and other security agencies on the first-line charge. This would help address the problems our armed forces face regarding budget releases and the provision of other resources needed to improve their performance.

“Finally, I believe that this is one way of telling Nigerians, through this organisation, that our armed forces are still working very hard. Therefore, when we face budgetary constraints from time to time, this is not a good reason for anyone to say that Nigeria is totally insecure.”

In his remarks, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, said that security threats were becoming increasingly complex, adaptive and interconnected.

Represented by his Special Adviser on Foreign Relations, Air Commodore Adewale Ogunmodede (rtd), Musa, who was the Special Guest of Honour, said: “Terrorist groups, criminal networks and other adversaries exploit information, technology, financial systems and gaps in coordination to pursue their objectives. Consequently, our response must combine effective combat operations with timely intelligence, technological capability, sound planning and cooperation among relevant security institutions.”

He said this was the essence of intelligence-led operations, adding: “The ability to identify a threat early, understand its networks, anticipate its intentions and act with precision can make the difference between preventing an attack and responding after lives have been lost.”

Emphasising that technology could strengthen surveillance, reconnaissance, communications and analytical capabilities, the Minister said it must be supported by trained personnel, reliable systems, effective doctrine and sound operational judgement.

“Technology is a force multiplier; it does not replace human judgement, discipline and professional competence upon which military effectiveness ultimately depends,” he said.

The conference was themed “Beyond Kinetic Warfare: Harnessing Technology and Intelligence-Led Operations for Nigeria’s National Security.”