Prince Adewole Adebayo has attributed the deaths of senior military officers in combat to what he described as a shortage of personnel that forces high-ranking officers to perform frontline duties meant for junior officers.
Speaking during an interview, the former Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate argued that Nigeria’s security challenges are being worsened by inadequate recruitment into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and the police force.
“One of the reasons why you see that happen so often, that they kill a general, is that the general is doing a captain’s duty. Otherwise, you will not say a general is killed. If a general is doing a captain’s duty, what do you think the lieutenant will be doing? The only time we do a corporal’s duty—simple things like patrol reconnaissance—a general is already doing all of that,” Adebayo said.
He alleged that the government has been reluctant to expand recruitment because it does not want to bear the cost of training, equipment, welfare, and logistics for additional personnel.
Adebayo further claimed that funds that could strengthen the country’s security architecture were instead being diverted for political purposes.
