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Defence Minister-designate Christopher Musa vows to pull soldiers off road checkpoints and deploy them into forests to confront terrorists.
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Police and NSCDC personnel to take over checkpoint operations as military focuses on frontline combat.
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Musa proposes unified national database, tech-driven tracking, and strict ban on ransom payments and illegal mining
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence-designate, Christopher Musa, says his security strategy will begin with withdrawing soldiers from road checkpoints and redeploying them into forests and hard-to-reach areas to directly confront terrorists.
Mr Musa, a retired General and former Chief of Defence Staff, made the statement on Wednesday during his ministerial screening at the Senate. He said police officers and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) would assume responsibility for routine checkpoint duties.
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According to him, the military must return to aggressive field operations if the nation is to reclaim communities and farmlands from armed groups.
“We’re going to withdraw military men from checkpoints and let the police and civil defence corps handle those aspects. We must go into the bushes and take out these criminals wherever they are,” he said.
Restoring Farming and Rural Safety
Musa highlighted that redeploying soldiers into the bush would support efforts to revive farming in areas devastated by banditry.
“Farmers must be able to return to their farms. Food security is critical. A hungry man is an angry man,” he said, stressing collaboration with NSCDC Agro Rangers to protect farmlands.
Unified National Database to Track Terrorists
The defence minister-designate also said he would push for the creation of a unified national database to strengthen intelligence gathering and tracking of criminals across state lines.
READ ALSO: Things you need to know about nominated defence minister Christopher Musa
“In first world countries, you have a single database for all citizens. That’s what we must build. A unified platform that immigration, police and other agencies can all use,” Musa said.
He noted that criminals currently exploit Nigeria’s fragmented data systems to evade detection.
“There should be nowhere to run. When you commit a crime, you should be traced easily. With ICT, even your bank account can be blocked,” he added.
Ban on Ransom Payments and Financial Tracing
Musa also vowed to end ransom payments to kidnappers, arguing that such payments fuel terrorism.
“Even when ransoms are paid, we can track the money. Using the banking system, we can trace funds backward and expose those benefiting from these crimes,” he said.
Maritime Security and Illegal Mining Crackdown
The minister-designate noted rising security challenges along Nigeria’s maritime corridors, particularly between Akwa Ibom and Cameroon, where sea robbery and cross-border crimes have intensified.
He said Operation Delta Safe has already been expanded to address these threats.
He also insisted there would be no negotiations with criminals, warning that past negotiations only allowed armed groups to rearm.
“It’s a total ban on illegal mining and all activities that fund insecurity. Negotiation is a no-no,” he said.
