- The army says a new date would be announced for the exercise
- The recruitment was earlier scheduled to begin on Monday, February 26 and end on Friday, March 9, 2018
- The army recruited 12,000 new soldiers in 2017 to boost its operations across the country
The Nigerian army has announced the postponement of its 2018 recruitment exercise for the 77 regular intakes.
The army revealed the decision in a statement released on Sunday, February 25. It however did not name a new date for the resumption of the exercise.
The statement signed by Colonel Aliyu Yusuf for the Director Army Public Relations, read:
"The Nigerian Army wishes to inform the general public particularly candidates for the 77 Regular Recruit Intake exercise earlier scheduled to hold nationwide. from Monday 26 February - Friday 9 March 2018 that the exercise has been postponed till further notice.
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"A new date for the screening excercise will be communicated in due course through the media and the Nigerian Army Recruitment Portal (recruitment.army.mil.ng). Inconveniences caused highly regretted."
NAIJ.com recalls that the Nigerian army recruited around 12,000 soldiers in 2017 alone.
That year, Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. General Tukur Buratai said, during a budget defence session with the House of Representatives Committee on army, that the force would use the thousands of recruit to boost its operations across the country.
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Buratai said the recruitment was to take place after the approval of the army’s 2017 budget proposal of N152.8 billion. He said the recruitment exercise would be in two batches with 6,000 men first and another 6,000 later.
Buratai said the Nigerian army are currently engaged in different operations in 32 states of the federation, combating kidnapping, terrorism, pipeline vandalism, cattle rustling, among others.
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Source: Naija.ng