At the entrance of the Defence Headquarters, I noticed a difference between my conceptual image of the Defence Headquarters and the actual one. I expected to meet stern-looking soldiers with frowning faces, glaring at civilians as they passed the security checks into the premises. Instead, I met them courteously, looking at the personnel and politely identifying the visitors while requesting whom they had come to see. Except for the military uniform and orderly manner in which things are being conducted, one cannot imagine being in a top-most regimented environment, but a diplomatic outfit with an amiable reception. All through, the atmosphere was friendly and receptive. There is a difference between the military personnel of today and those of some years ago when it was a familiar scene to watch military personnel meting out corporal punishment to “bloody” civilians at the checkpoint for the slightest excuse. How can you harass civilians and expect them to cooperate and support you in your fight against criminals, insurgents, and bandits? Perhaps it was part of the change that the CDS explained during the interview.
As I stepped into the palatial office of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, several variables were in my mind playing out to reach equilibrium—how would the interview be? Was I to be dictated what to write and what not to write in the name of national security?
Soon, the atmosphere relaxed with the CDS’s frank and friendly welcome, which prompted me to introduce myself. When he heard me mention that I am a Professor of Extension in Agricultural Engineering, he involuntarily remarked, “Farming is an area of immense interest to me, but where are the extension workers?” It was a question that needed to be addressed before the interview. I explained that many have retired, some have passed away, and others have left the service without replacement. The few that remain are scattered and unnoticed across the nation.
As mentioned in the first part of this piece, the CDS had no media aides to support his responses to my questions. Still, he allowed me to ask questions without any no-go areas or boundaries when he stated in a very affable manner, “Prof., I don’t want to know the questions before we meet, as we don’t have anything to hide.”
My first question was his assessment of the country’s current security situation compared to before he was appointed. The follow-up question was his strategies for tackling insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping for ransom, and whether the strategies are achieving the desired results.
General Musa responded swiftly, stating, “We must protect the country. Since we assumed office next month, it will be two years, that is, by June 2025, and for me, the most significant achievement is the awareness we have been able to make Nigerians understand that the security situation is a Nigerian challenge and not a challenge for the armed forces or the security agencies or the government is for everybody and for us to deal with it we need everybody coming together, working together.” He added, “And then, within the services, we used to have issues of in-house fighting and not working together; all that has gone. Now, we sit down, look at the problems, and address them. Gradually, despite the challenges, it becomes clear that last year was a bumper harvest. Schools and markets are opening, and the Kaduna general area, which people previously avoided, is now accessible. At least people can now use the Abuja-Kaduna Express. It has been opened; the trains and vehicles are moving. Therefore, it suggests that progress is being made. How we were and where we want to be, not yet. However, it is a work in progress, and that is what we’re heading towards.”
One can see the level of confidence and hope for the future. Again, General Musa’s answer revealed a shift in the military-public relationship aimed at winning the people’s trust in intelligence gathering and support in combating insurgency and banditry. Security is a collective duty that every stakeholder must fulfill with a sense of responsibility for society to live in peace and flourish.
Synergy among military units and paramilitary forces is a significant step toward winning the war against criminal elements. General Musa stated, “Now there is no problem; we walk together—Army, Navy, and Air Force. There is no competition; we are all Nigerians. This is our country, and we all work with the police, the DSS, the NIA, the DIA, and all agencies like civil defense, immigration, and customs. They come here, and we hold meetings to analyze the issues facing Nigeria and discuss how to address them if any problems arise. Everybody contributes, so we work together as a team, which has helped us achieve our goals. From the beginning, Mr. President has told us that he wants a unity of purpose. Today, I just returned from a meeting with Mr. President, where he reiterated the importance of synergy and expressed his satisfaction with how we are working together.”
Support from the populace and synergy are significant steps in the right direction, but much remains to be done. Winning the war against insurgency, banditry, and terrorism requires two key strategies: kinetic and non-kinetic.
General Musa stated, “We need both kinetic and non-kinetic. The kinetic is what the military does when engaging in combat. The non-kinetic aspect of good governance involves working with the public and raising awareness. Therefore, we have enhanced this because we have realized that the kinetic component is less than 30% of the solution, while the non-kinetic component accounts for 70%. We are interfacing with all stakeholders, including communities, citizens, governors, local government chairmen, religious leaders, traditional rulers, market women, motor park operators, etc. We have made them understand that we can succeed when we work together. The combined number of security personnel nationwide may not be sufficient to ensure our presence everywhere. So, we need the public side because the criminals, the bandits, and the terrorists are trying to win their hearts for them to work with them. If they don’t understand that the government is there with them, that is what we’re doing. We want to have these things because we believe that if awareness continues in this way, with all the support, we will do more. We have enhanced our operations. We have improved the equipment we are getting.”
The non-kinetic strategy involves the efforts of all three arms of government to ensure good governance, including infrastructure, employment opportunities, quality education, health services, justice, and equity. Federal, state, and local governments must deliver the dividends of democracy through good governance, while the judiciary must ensure that justice prevails in all segments of society. It is essential to effectively identify and address the root causes of insurgency and banditry. Wiping out all insurgents and bandits without tackling the underlying causes of these criminal activities will only allow other bandits and insurgents to resurface.
As the military executes the kinetic strategy of the insurgency war, what is the major challenge militating against success? General Musa gave insight into the challenge. He said, “The challenge we are having is that we don’t produce what we need—everything we need, we have to go and buy outside the country. With your money, if you go out, it’s not there. The Russian-Ukrainian war has made it extremely challenging to obtain military equipment.
Furthermore, we have encountered diplomatic challenges in the past. Despite our financial resources, we are sometimes denied access to this equipment, which has affected us. Fortunately, Mr. President Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu approved the DICON Bill last year, allowing the DICON (Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria) to collaborate with original equipment manufacturers to produce in Nigeria. That is the way forward. By creating what we need, we will ensure both quality and quantity. This initiative will generate job opportunities for our citizens, which will also help reduce insecurity. It will provide us with foreign exchange. We will be able to sell to neighboring countries, making it a win-win deal for Nigeria.”
The interview is certainly revealing and informative, but my column may not cover everything besides a separate publication that I plan to create soon. Stay tuned for it in the coming days.
