Defence chief has renewed calls for erecting barriers along the nation’s frontiers to thwart armed militants crossing from adjacent states, warning that unchecked movements fuel deadly assaults and illicit trafficking.
Defence Minister Christopher Musa, in an interview with BBC Hausa aired Friday, stressed the urgency of physical walls supplemented by advanced monitoring systems to seal porous entry points exploited by insurgents and smugglers.
“Yes, yes, yes, absolutely,” Musa affirmed when asked about his prior advocacy for a border fence. “If we build it, it will help us prevent people who bring illegal substances into the country, and it will also stop criminals from entering, carrying out attacks, and escaping.”
He acknowledged logistical hurdles, noting: “In addition to physical barriers, it is not everywhere that a wall can be built; there are places with water where a wall cannot be constructed. There are also modern technological devices that can be installed, which can monitor movements and show where people are coming from.”
Musa highlighted the role of public vigilance in combating threats, urging citizens to report anomalies and sever ties with perpetrators. “What is most important is for people to understand that when they see suspicious individuals like these, they should know where and how to report them,” he said. “When we act quickly, that is what helps us most.”
He condemned complicity, saying: “That is why we are appealing to the public: stop associating with them, those who supply them with food, those who sell things to them should stop. Those who give them information like, ‘Soldiers have been seen here,’ or ‘There are three military vehicles around,’ should stop.”
Describing gains from such dealings as “blood money,” Musa added: “People should understand that the money they get from such dealings is blood money. And God will question you in the end: ‘Where did you get it? Why did you do this? Why did you help kill people?’”
The minister praised President Bola Tinubu’s backing for security forces, including enhanced gear and tech. “What we need to tell Nigerians is that we will increase our level of commitment and work together, and the President is also providing us with more support and the tools we need to work with,” he stated.
Musa emphasized tech’s efficiency: “Technology will help us a lot, because in the past we could not deploy soldiers everywhere. But if we have technology, we can see where they are from a distance. And once information is received or a call is made to alert us, we will take action.”
He underscored multinational efforts, saying: “With the support of citizens and other people, including those from Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and the Republic of Benin, we are all working together. Given our borders, we cannot do it alone; we must collaborate with them. This is because many of these criminals come from outside Nigeria, entering from those neighbouring countries.”
Refuting US allegations of targeted anti-Christian violence, Musa insisted: “I agree that Nigerians are being killed, not only Christians or Muslims, but everyone. These people have no regard for human life, they have no faith, and they do not care who they kill.”
He noted clarifications to Washington: “We also explained this to the Americans, that it is citizens who are being killed. The support we want is help to eliminate these terrorists completely so that Nigeria can be safe.”
Musa cited recent airstrikes in Sokoto that inflicted heavy casualties on bandits, many of whom retreated to Niger. “Many bandits were killed, very many, very seriously,” he said. “You know that many of these criminals originate from Niger and then return there.”
Warning against external influences, he added: “The moment these Lakurawa entered, they settled in like friends, and over time they began to take over land and started killing people.”
The proposal aligns with ongoing operations amid persistent insurgencies in Nigeria’s northeast and banditry in the northwest, which have displaced millions and strained regional ties.
