The Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin, a General, has set up a 10-man committee to look at its policies, including troops’ adherence to laws of armed conflicts in internal security and peace support Operations, which compels them to respect human rights, and suggest ways of making the armed forces of Nigeria more effective.

According to a statement issued by Wap Maigida, a Group Captain, acting director of Defence Information, the committee is expected to turn its report on November 16 and the military has said the report will be used to enhance its operation, especially in the on-going counterinsurgency war in the North east.

“Terms of reference include; to re-appraise previous AFN’s transformation activities and suggest options for realistic reforms, to determine ways of improving on operational efficiency in the services, to examine ways of fostering mission-oriented training in the armed forces,” the statement read.

“Others are to evaluate the foreign courses that are currently attended by AFN personnel and suggest ways of ensuring that such courses tally with desired milestones, consider measures for improving on troops adherence to Law of Armed Conflicts in Internal Security and Peace Support Operations, determine impediments to effective logistics support and recommend the way forward, identify current constabulary engagements of the AFN that could be relinquished to the Nigerian Police and other paramilitary organizations, examine ways of fostering value orientation of service personnel through nationalism and the promotion of services’ core values, and suggest ways of improving on career planning in the AFN.”

Also important are personnel welfare, civil-military relations, media operations, participation in UN/AU/ECOWAS missions, plights of ex-servicemen and career review.

The committee is also free to seek the views of serving and retired senior officers and other relevant stakeholders in putting together its report, the statement added.