The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu, has cautioned Nigerian Army personnel against drug and substance abuse, urging them to seek professional assistance when dealing with psychological and emotional challenges.
Shaibu said mental resilience, emotional stability and sound judgment were essential to soldiers’ effectiveness, especially amid Nigeria’s increasingly complex security challenges.
He spoke on Tuesday at a sensitisation seminar on Warrior Ethos, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Management and Drugs and Substance Abuse, organised by the Army Headquarters Department of Transformation and Innovation at the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji, Kaduna State.
Represented by the Commander of the Infantry Corps, Major-General Godwin Mutkut, the army chief said military personnel needed more than physical strength and combat skills to perform their duties effectively.
“The increasingly complex security environment requires soldiers to demonstrate not only physical strength and combat skills but also mental resilience, emotional stability and sound judgment,” he said.
Shaibu described warrior ethos as a fundamental principle of military service, built on courage, discipline, loyalty, commitment to duty and solidarity among personnel.
He acknowledged that prolonged combat exposure, the loss of colleagues, traumatic experiences and separation from family members could negatively affect soldiers’ mental health.
According to him, courage does not shield military personnel from psychological trauma, making access to professional care and rehabilitation essential.
“Courage does not make soldiers immune to psychological injuries,” he said.
The army chief urged military commanders to address the stigma surrounding mental health treatment within the military, stressing that personnel experiencing psychological difficulties should be able to seek help without fear of humiliation or discrimination.
On substance abuse, Shaibu warned that the misuse of drugs and intoxicating substances could impair soldiers’ judgment, weaken discipline and teamwork, and increase the risks faced by personnel during military operations.
He advocated a coordinated approach to tackling the problem through preventive education, effective supervision, early detection, medical treatment, rehabilitation and appropriate disciplinary action.
Shaibu also noted that substance abuse could be linked to unresolved psychological distress, prolonged stress and other personal challenges, urging commanders to consider these factors when responding to affected personnel.
He said the principles of warrior ethos, psychological resilience and freedom from substance abuse were interconnected and necessary for successful military operations.
The army chief called on military formations and units to implement the seminar’s recommendations through improved welfare support, counselling and rehabilitation for personnel returning from prolonged or traumatic deployments.
Earlier, the Chief of Army Transformation and Innovation, Major-General Peter Okoye, represented by his deputy, Major-General Michael Agi, said the seminar was designed to strengthen the fighting spirit, discipline and unity of military personnel.
Okoye said the programme’s focus on warrior ethos, mental toughness, PTSD management and substance abuse reflected the need to address psychological and behavioural challenges that could affect military performance.
He added that the initiative aligned with the army chief’s command philosophy, which recognises the mental and physical well-being of personnel as essential to operational readiness.
The seminar, which commenced on October 26 and is scheduled to end on October 31, brings together military personnel and resource persons to examine the effects of trauma and substance abuse on military effectiveness.
The participants are expected to apply the knowledge gained to improve personnel welfare, strengthen unit cohesion and enhance operational performance.
