Nigerian Army Passes Out 3,000 More Recruits at New Ebonyi Depot

Three thousand more defenders of Nigeria have been formally inducted. And the country’s military expansion is still far from complete.

The Nigerian Army passed out over 3,000 newly trained recruits at the Depot Nigerian Army in Amasiri-Edda, Ebonyi State, in a passing out parade chaired by Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu. The ceremony at the newly established South East training facility marks another significant milestone in the federal government’s directive to recruit an additional 28,000 soldiers across the armed forces, building on the 8,000 already graduated from Depot Osogbo on June 27.

A Historic Depot for the South East

The Amasiri-Edda Depot is a newly established training facility, making this passing out ceremony historically significant as the first of its kind at the location. Ebonyi State Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru described the depot as a strategic national asset for both his state and the entire South East geopolitical zone. He said its establishment has already strengthened security and stimulated economic activity in the surrounding communities.

The governor reaffirmed the state’s commitment to sustained collaboration with the Armed Forces, pledging continued logistical and institutional support for military operations in the region. Furthermore, he highlighted the peace that Ebonyi State has experienced in recent years as evidence of productive security cooperation between state and federal authorities.

The COAS’s Message to the New Soldiers

Lieutenant General Shaibu told the 3,000 new recruits that their training was deliberately structured to prepare them for the realities of modern warfare and Nigeria’s increasingly complex security environment. He charged them to uphold discipline, loyalty, and professionalism in all their activities as they transition from trainees to active soldiers.

“You are joining the Nigerian Army at a critical period when troops remain actively engaged across multiple theatres of operation,” Shaibu said. He emphasised that the country is counting on every new soldier to contribute meaningfully to ongoing operations, from the northeast insurgency to northwest banditry and the South East security challenges.

What This Means for Security

The Amasiri-Edda graduation adds 3,000 soldiers to a force that has recently graduated 8,000 from Osogbo, bringing the total of newly trained personnel in recent weeks to over 11,000. When the full 28,000 recruitment target is met, the Nigerian Army will have meaningfully expanded its operational capacity across all theatres.

Whether that expanded capacity translates into measurable security improvements for the communities currently experiencing violence depends on how these new soldiers are deployed, supported, and led. The training is complete. The test comes in the field.