SECURITY: INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PROF. MK OTHMAN AND CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF, GENERAL CHRISTOPHER GWABIN MUSA, OFR 

Q. How will you assess the security situation in the country now compared to before you were appointed?

First of all, I would like to thank you and appreciate your time for visiting our headquarters. This office is specifically for Nigerians, including members of the Nigerian armed forces. We must protect the country. Since we assumed office next month 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. I was stationed in the Northeast as a theater commander some time ago, and what contributed to our success was the fact that the populace cooperated with us, providing us with timely information that we were able to utilize effectively. 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, too, you can see that last year was a bumper harvest, despite the challenges. This year, that’s why the price of food has also improved. Schools are opening, markets are opening, and the Kaduna general area, which people previously avoided, is now accessible. At least, they can now use the Abuja-Kaduna Express. It’s opening, the trains are moving. So it shows that things are moving. How we were, we want to be, not yet. However, it’s a work in progress, and that’s what we’re heading towards.

Q. What key strategies have you implemented to tackle these insurgency issues, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and how are you achieving this desire?

As I mentioned, we have 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 among everybody. 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, and everyone else. We have made them understand that it is when we work together that we can succeed. 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, the terrorists are trying to win their hearts for them to work with them. But if they don’t understand that the government is there with them, and also that is what we’re doing. And these are the things that we want to have 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 challenge we are having is that we don’t produce what we need—everything we need, we have to go and buy. With your money, if you go out, it’s not there. The Russian-Ukrainian war has made it extremely challenging to obtain equipment.

Additionally, we have had issues with diplomacy in the past. Even with our financial resources, we are sometimes denied access to this equipment, which has had an impact on us. And so thankfully, last year, Mr. President approved the DICON Bill, which will enable the DICON Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria to partner with original equipment manufacturers to come and produce in Nigeria. That’s the way forward. If we make what we want, we know the quality and the quantity. It will create employment opportunities for our demand users, which will also help reduce insecurity. It will get us foreign exchange. We’ll be able to sell to countries around us, our neighbours, so that it will be a win-win deal for Nigeria. Those are the aspects we are addressing. The number of recruits has also increased. The President has also directed that we should recruit, with our recruiters, those who will have more boots on the ground. He has approved the purchase of a large amount of equipment, including aircraft, drones, and armored personnel carriers (APCs). So all this was coming together. Now again, we work very, very closely with the National Assembly to get those things that have been approved. We are working with the judiciary. We are working with every aspect of government as a team. We need to think as Nigerians, defending Nigeria. That’s what he hopes to see, and that’s what he hopes to see.

Q. Thank you very much. We are witnessing the resurgence of Boko Haram, particularly in the North-East. Why is it so?

Well, it is because of the awareness populace, people before they use to go round and make people believe that the government is not doing much, they are the only ones that mean well for the government, they are the only ones that know the religion, now we have Imams that brings out the real message from the Qur’an, that these people are distorting the message the suit themselves. If you see most of the commanders of the terrorists and all this, they are living like lords because they are getting money. To them, it’s business, but they are using and denying, convincing other people that it is about religion. They are doing a religious, it’s not spiritual, it’s just a free war they are doing. And so, it is very, very important that we remain focused on those aspects. Again, because of media like this that we discuss, there is an awareness, and this information also reaches them, allowing them to understand that they have been lied to. Nobody is going to kill them. All we want is for them to lay down arms, come out, and surround them. We have had over 120,000 that have surrounded the northeast. Some in the northwest and north central areas are also coming up because they are tired. They have realized that they have been lied to; they have been deceived into taking arms against the people and spilling innocent blood. Some of them cancel it. Those are the things we are doing, and we must continue to do them together. And mostly our appeal is for Nigerians not to support them. All those who are giving them, because why are they continuing? They are people who will provide them with fuel, water, food, and all the necessary essentials. Those are the individuals responsible for this, sharing information about the military. The military will come here and protect you, meanwhile, you go back and tell them no, the military is this, the military is that, so that all these kinds of things, if we stop, it will not, they can continue what they are doing. That’s why we must work together.

Q. Okay, this issue of violation of human rights by the military. So, what are you doing about it?

People are engaging in this to undermine the military. Let me reiterate that issues of human rights often arise when the military is succeeding. You inquired about the human rights situation; we are collaborating with many of these foreign nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom. They come to us and observe our operations; at what point do we address human rights? We send our personnel for training, support humanitarian agencies, collaborate with NGOs, and work with UN organizations, so our troops are well-trained in these matters. Occasionally, issues may arise because we’re human, and mistakes can happen, but they’re never intentional. When we identify a problem, we take action and hold our personnel accountable. If you recall, Reuters brought to me an allegation of 10,000 fake abortions while I was the theatre commander. We requested an independent investigation, which took a year and a half. Ultimately, it was proven to be false. However, what happened to the group that made that allegation? Nothing. This shows that internationally, even the UN should reject such claims. Our government should take these matters seriously so that those responsible can be held accountable and prosecuted. These allegations malign our country, leading people to believe they’re true when they are not. Many others do the same thing. I assure you, our armed forces are professional and respect human rights. If we didn’t, in this battle we’re fighting, especially in conventional warfare between nations, the strategy would be to use more bombs and kill everyone in the target country. However, we’re fighting for the people from within. They often hide among innocent civilians. Therefore, we can’t just go in and kill everyone. That makes asymmetric warfare much more challenging. Sometimes when we want to strike and see them inside markets, we have to hold back. We know that if they blend into the civilian population, we can’t hit them. They exploit this by quickly seeking refuge among the populace to avoid attacks. Those are the issues we face.

Q. Is there also an issue with Lakurawa around Sokoto, Kebbi, on the North West and North Central axis?

This is what we want to tell Nigerians. Don’t allow any foreigners to come and stay with you. In the name of that, you are a brother, you are a sister. He is harmless. When Boko Haram came, that’s how it started. No action was taken until they started killing people. Some Nigerians brought in Lakurawas from Mali and said, ‘No, they are our brothers; let us stay together.’ They were funding them. When they found out that they could no longer continue funding them, they became angry and started taxing them because they were carrying arms. And they didn’t report to anybody. So, when they started taxing them and they were not paying, they were not getting enough, they started attacking their animals and seizing them. And when they wanted to fight back, they started killing them. So, it is when they started killing them that they now started shouting, these guys are here. So, this thing keeps on repeating. So, I want to tell communities, never allow any foreigner to come and stay with you. Because they don’t mean you well, nobody can love your house more than you. And that’s the critical aspect. There is a global increase in terrorist attacks in the Sahel area.

Q. Considering the rampant assaults on military barracks, the killing of soldiers, and the confiscation of military hardware by terrorists, why is it so? Is there any fear that the military may be overwhelmed?

What we realized is that, if you notice the last three months, there was a global increase in terrorist attacks within the Sahel area. So, countries like Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and even recently Benin republic have been attacked so, it is that pressure that is putting them down that is forcing a lot of them coming into Nigeria. Similarly, they are intensifying their attacks in Nigeria. Still, we are making an effort now. Just yesterday, I was in Maiduguri to discuss with the troops. We are adding manpower and more equipment, addressing those issues, and also extending our bilateral relationship with Niger, even though they have left ECOWAS. Still, we need to maintain a good relationship with them in Mali, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and Chad, as their stability is crucial for us, so that it does not affect us.

Q. The issue of synergy is an essential key within the military. How is the relationship between the three formations in the military now?

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, and the DIA, as well as 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, and that has really helped us achieve our goals. Mr. President has told us from the beginning that he wants a unity of purpose. Today, I just came back from a meeting with Mr. President, where he reiterated the importance of synergy and expressed his satisfaction with how we are working together.

Q. There is also an allegation of rotten eggs among both the military and other security personnel who are benefiting from the insecurity, and they will not want the war against terrorism to end. How are you addressing this issue?

I have mentioned that individuals from within contribute to the insecurity. Remember, we always have the good, the bad, and the ugly. The positive aspect for us is that we continuously monitor their actions; we identify them, apprehend them, and can see what they are doing. Consequently, we prosecute them. In all our regions, we maintain a standing court-martial; anyone we catch is prosecuted. Numerous individuals have been jailed; we dismiss them, send them to prison, demote them, and punish them in various ways. We don’t take this lightly, and we consistently keep a close watch on our personnel. We also encourage the public; if they observe our officers misbehaving, they should report it to us instead of staying silent. Do not confront the officer directly; instead, report the incident to the proper authorities. Note their names from the name tag at checkpoints or any other location, and then report immediately so we can take swift action to apprehend the accused for investigation and prosecution, serving as a deterrent to others.

Q. What kind of support (logistical, aerial, technological) has been most crucial for the government to prioritise to end the reign of terror in Nigeria?

Yes, the most important thing I want to emphasize is that we don’t produce some crucial military equipment; however, since the President has signed the DICON bill, we are bringing in companies to initiate production. We will also purchase from them and build our capacity. We have begun producing items such as APCs and more. This is an ongoing effort, and we will continue to focus on these areas to enhance our capabilities. The President is providing us with significant funding. You know, military, armed forces, and defence are not the only challenges; there are obstacles everywhere, so we will need to prioritize because we can’t obtain everything we require. However, what we have been doing at our local level is building our engineers’ and technicians’ capacity to repair and maintain the vehicles, even those that have been damaged; we can bring them in and fix them again.

Q. Are the military being overwhelmed?

No at all, like I said they always look for soft spot like one village and attack, but what is also making our job a bit more difficult is infrastructure that’s is why I’m talking about the non-kinetic which is not the military responsibility, we don’t have roads, so these guys they know we don’t have roads. Hence, they plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and once you enter the IEDs, everybody is dead. So, if you go to hospitals, you will see soldiers’ legs cut, hands cut, so many terrible things, so even when you get information, you’ll have to be careful of those IEDs. So, you’ll have to get somebody on the ground with a handheld dictator going around. Just imagine going like this for 10km; that’s why people will say we call them and they’re not coming. But if soldiers rush, they will die, so they have to go slowly. And it is part of the things we discuss with the President that our governors view this aspect as the dividend of democracy, namely, the provision of roads. If there are roads, it will make our job easier. Reinforcement and support response times will be improved, allowing the market to move more easily. Now, imagine that from the north you want to carry tomatoes to the south. How much does it cost? Very cheap, but due to transportation and poor roads, the cost will be significantly higher in Lagos. Therefore, if we have good roads, it will reduce the cost and decrease insecurity.

Q. There are still some villages that are under the control of bandits. How are you addressing that?

Like I said earlier, our people should stop accommodating them I will give you example, one of the bandit’s leaders was injured and was taking to a hospital in a village by the time we had the information we got there the villagers went and evacuated the person room in the hospital because they are getting peanut from the bandits. That’s why we say that if the government is doing more, the people will not be enticed by all this kind of money. That’s why the non-kinetic aspect is very important, good governance. You can see the north has no infrastructure, no schools, no hospital, no water, no light; those are the challenges.

Q. What about the issue of security votes?

Well, I can tell you the truth about it: all the funds we receive are paid as and when due to cover our soldiers’ allowances and feeding. We feed them well, although there must be one or two complaints here and there. However, we take action against those, and now that things have gone so high, these are the issues we are struggling with. Nevertheless, we are not doing badly.

Q. Lastly, what is your message for Nigerians?

For Nigerians, it is crucial that we love ourselves more. I had the opportunity to travel abroad, and in most countries, people take pride in themselves and their country. In Nigeria, however, I see that some people are happy when soldiers are killed, and I can’t understand why. They celebrate on social media, but if we kill them, nobody reports it; they remain silent. So, what is the aim? Is it that they celebrate when soldiers are killed? They don’t realize that these soldiers are a shield between them and the terrorists. If all the soldiers are killed, they will be next. They refuse to see that the soldiers protect their ability to go to the farm, school, church, or mosque by standing guard day and night. I just returned from Maiduguri, where the temperature reaches 44 degrees. Soldiers endure the sun, rain, dust, and all kinds of weather, making sacrifices. They have left their families, and some haven’t seen their children in 3 to 6 months. So, when I see someone happy about a soldier’s death, it makes me wonder and I say no. When the terrorists finish, you will be the next victim. However, when you support them, pray for them, and commend them, they will want to do even more. Therefore, I appeal to Nigerians and those supporting them, either directly or indirectly. Some commercial drivers take fuel to them, some carry food, and some even bring women to them just for money, which is blood money. If we catch anyone doing so, we will treat them like a terrorist.