The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has said that terrorism, insurgency and banditry remain difficult to eliminate in Nigeria because some citizens continued to provide support, funding, logistics and intelligence to criminal groups.
Musa stated this on Friday while speaking at The Platform Nigeria Special June 12 Lecture held in Lagos. The event, themed “Governance, Democracy, National Security,” was organised by the Covenant Christian Centre led by Pastor Poju Oyemade as part of activities marking this year’s Democracy Day celebration.
Addressing participants at the event, the Defence Minister said Nigerians must understand that security challenges are a reality in every society and that overcoming them requires collective responsibility.
The Defence Chief said the persistence of terrorism, insurgency and banditry in parts of the country cannot be separated from the support some criminal groups receive from members of the public.
“Banditry, insurgency, terrorism — why does it seem so difficult to deal with it? Perhaps we have the people who are also encouraging and supporting these things because bandits and terrorists survive around the people,” he said.
He stressed that the success or failure of efforts to tackle insecurity ultimately depends on the willingness of citizens to support positive change.
“I want Nigerians to understand that challenges will always come as long as you live. The important thing is what you do about those challenges.
“Everything revolves around the people. When the people are willing and ready to make changes, changes will occur. If the people are not willing, nothing will change,” he stated.
“There are several stories about how people have aided them in giving them food, water, information, and these are the things that keep them going. We call them the ‘oxygen’,” Musa said.
Questioning the sources of support available to criminal groups, he queried, “Who are those funding them, giving them information and logistics that keep them going? It is still the people.”
The former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) further explained that modern security threats differ significantly from conventional warfare, where enemies are easily identifiable.
“Conventional warfare in the past used to be state to state and country to country, so you know who your enemy is,” he said.
“The most dangerous aspect of battle and campaign is when the enemy is within. That individual that you’re protecting is the number one enemy trying to take you out immediately he gets the chance,” Gen. Musa stated.
He emphasised that no matter how hard the military and other security agencies work, victory against insecurity would remain elusive without the active cooperation of citizens.
“Let us always remember that the armed forces and security agencies, no matter what they do, if the people are not ready to support, it will be very difficult,” he said.
Despite the security challenges facing the country, Musa commended Nigerians for their resilience and growing support for efforts to combat criminality and terrorism.
“I want to appeal and appreciate Nigerians that despite these challenges, Nigerians are standing up and ensuring that this menace comes to an end,” he said.
The Minister of Defence also urged citizens to remain united, warning that terrorists and criminal elements often exploit divisions within society to advance their objectives.
