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Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, rtd, has stated why terrorism, banditry and other forms of insecurity in Nigeria seem to be difficult to deal with.
Speaking at the June 12 edition of The Platform, organised by The Covenant Nation in Lagos, General Musa said the problem persists in the country partly because criminal groups receive support from individuals within local communities.
“Banditry, insurgency, terrorism. Why does it seem so difficult to deal with it? Perhaps, we have the people that are also encouraging and supporting these things from happening because the terrorists, the bandits, survive around the people.
Read Also: ‘Stop Making Peace Deals With Bandits’ – Senate Warns States
“There are several stories of how people have aided them in giving them food, giving them water, and giving them information, and these are the things that keep them going, and we call this the oxygen
“Who is funding them? Who are those giving them information? Who are those giving them the logistics that keep them going? It is still the people,” he asked.
According to him, modern security threats are increasingly difficult to combat because criminal elements often operate among the civilian population, making it harder for security agencies to identify and isolate them.
The former Chief of Defense Staff pointed out that the armed forces and other security agencies cannot defeat insecurity without citizens’ cooperation, urging Nigerians to report suspicious activities and support ongoing security efforts.
The Nigerian Senate has called on state governments to stop making peace agreements with terrorists and armed bandits, saying such deals rarely bring lasting peace and could end up encouraging more crime.
The lawmakers also asked the Nigeria Police Force and the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre to identify and arrest bandits who openly use social media platforms, especially TikTok.
The Senate said many of them display large amounts of cash believed to be proceeds of criminal activities.
The decision followed a motion raised by Senator Sunday Karimi over recent attacks in communities in Kogi West Senatorial District.
Karimi told the Senate that terrorists recently attacked Iluke-Bunu in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State and attempted to kidnap students writing their Senior School Certificate Examination.
According to him, the attack led to the deaths of the school’s vice principal, a teacher and another resident.
He added that the incident occurred just a day after another attack on a private home in Odo-Ere, Yagba West Local Government Area, on June 8, 2026.
The Senate also invited the commander of the National Centre for Control of Arms and Small Weapons to explain the recent attacks and discuss the growing problem of illegal weapons in the country.
Senator Ali Ndume has attributed his continued electoral success to the support of his constituents, God, and some political leaders, saying he is not among those favoured within the corridors of power in the current administration.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, the senator said he had consistently won elections because of the confidence his constituents have in him and the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Ndume noted that he was preparing for his seventh election, having previously served two terms in the House of Representatives and four terms in the Senate.
