The Rector of the Nigerian-Korean Friendship Institute of Vocational and Advanced Technology, Dr. Toyin Oluwatoyin, has said military generals should be applauded and encouraged to contain the complex guerrilla warfare plaguing the country.

Oluwatoyin was reacting to calls for stripping military generals of their ranks as a result of their inability to quell the ravaging insurgency in record time.

Some Nigerians on X had made snide remarks against Generals of the Armed Forces, describing them as businessmen and alleging that they were responsible for the lingering terrorism and insurgency assailing the nation.

The denigration of the generals followed claims by a deserted Lance Corporal of the Nigerian Army who became a social media sensation through his bogus allegations against Generals and other senior officers of the army.

In several videos, the soldier accused some generals of aiding/sponsoring terrorism, corruption, sabotage, and having sympathy towards criminal herders.

These allegations have been dismissed by the Army, which insisted the Lance Corporal was a coward who went AWOL, adding that he would be dealt with in line with military disciplinary procedures whenever he was caught.

But Oluwatoyin told reporters in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, that Nigerians need to give maximum support to the Armed Forces to enable them to combat insurgency.

According to him, the nation’s Generals have all the credentials and training needed to accomplish the task.

The rector stressed that what is needed is the people’s support and political will to enable the military to function optimally.

Oluwatoyin described the war against insurgency as asymmetric and required all hands on deck, reminding critics that becoming a General in the Army is a journey defined by strict military codes, rigorous evaluation, field experience, professional courses, and merit-based promotions.

“No one is promoted into the rank of a General without meeting an array of highly disciplined standards enforced by the Nigerian Armed Forces. The rank is earned through decades of resilience, operational command, and integrity under pressure,” he said.