Tinubu Orders Fresh Weaponry for Troops as Defence Minister Reveals Terrorist Commanders are Falling in ‘Ramadan Reset’

President Bola Tinubu has moved to “flip the script” on Nigeria’s security challenges, approving a massive injection of new military hardware following a high-stakes briefing at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, March 12, 2026. The move comes as a direct response to a “state of harmony” breach in the North-East, where insurgents have recently stepped up attacks on military formations during the holy month of Ramadan.

Emerging from the two-hour session, Minister of Defence Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd) dismissed “slanted” media reports suggesting the military was on the back foot. While acknowledging the “highly regrettable” loss of several brave commanding officers in Borno State over the past week, Musa revealed that the reality on the ground is a story of insurgent desperation. “The terrorists are taking more casualties; their commanders are being killed every day,” Musa told State House correspondents. He explained that the military has already adjusted its tactics to neutralize the “Ramadan surge,” a period when extremists typically escalate violence.

The President’s approval for “more equipment” is designed to give frontline troops the technological edge needed to end the asymmetric war. This new hardware ranging from advanced surveillance systems to enhanced armored protection is expected to be deployed alongside a newly trained 2,400-man Special Operations Force. The goal is to move beyond reactive patrols into a phase of “hyper-execution,” targeting terrorist logistics and leadership hubs with surgical precision.

With newly appointed IGP Tunji Disu joining the service chiefs for the first time, the meeting signaled a renewed “joint-force” approach to securing the nation’s forests and highways. As the military takes delivery of this new “Renewed Hope” arsenal, the message from the Commander-in-Chief to the insurgents is clear: the Nigerian state will no longer just defend it is now equipped to finish the fight.