We’re winning war against insecurity, says Defence Minister

By Abubakar Yunusa

Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, has declared that the country is gradually winning the war against insecurity, despite persistent attacks across several regions.

The former Chief of Defence Staff said the military had recorded steady progress, urging Nigerians to support ongoing operations.

“We’re winning, definitely we’re winning. We’ve had a number of casualties; it is war that is ongoing,” he said during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday.

Musa stressed that public support remained critical, calling on citizens to remain vigilant and back the armed forces.

Speaking on the recent strike in Jilli, Borno State, the Defence Minister insisted the area had long been designated a restricted zone linked to insurgent logistics.

“That area had been banned for a very long time… Nobody in that area was innocent,” he said, dismissing claims that civilians were wrongly targeted.

He explained that individuals in the area were engaged in profitable transactions with insurgents, supplying food, fuel and materials used for improvised explosive devices.

“They knew why they were there. They were making big business… the attraction is so much,” he added.

Musa described Nigeria’s current security situation as a “turning point,” maintaining that troops were gaining the upper hand against insurgent groups.

“It’s a turning point. We’re winning the war… we will continue to win,” he said.

The minister, however, acknowledged the complex nature of the conflict, noting that insurgents rely on local informants and logistical networks to carry out attacks.

“The worst enemy you can fight is somebody from within… they take any risk,” he said, while lamenting the loss of senior officers in recent operations.

He disclosed that intelligence leaks often expose troop strength, enabling insurgents to launch coordinated attacks on smaller military units.

“These same individuals… are the ones telling them that ‘this unit you have only 20 soldiers,’ so they come over 200,” Musa explained.

On casualties, he identified improvised explosive devices as a major threat to troops, revealing that many explosives were produced using fertiliser.

“IEDs are implanted on the ground… that was what caused the death of the commanding officer in Monguno,” he said.

Dismissing allegations of negligence, Musa defended fallen officers, attributing losses to overwhelming enemy numbers rather than poor leadership or equipment failure.

“It’s very painful… but it is war. The number that came out was really overwhelming,” he stated.

The Defence Minister also lamented what he described as poor public recognition of military successes.

“We killed over 80 terrorists with their high commander… you didn’t hear so much noise about it,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to appreciate the sacrifices of soldiers, noting that victories were often underreported compared to losses.

“When one officer is killed, the escalation is high. When we kill a hundred, it’s muted,” he added.

On funding, Musa admitted that limited resources and dependence on foreign equipment posed challenges to operations.

“Everything costs money… we don’t produce these equipments we need,” he said.

He, however, assured that efforts were ongoing to boost local capacity and strengthen partnerships, including training support from the United States.

Reacting to foreign advisories, Musa dismissed claims that Nigeria was unsafe, insisting that the country was not as dangerous as portrayed.

“Nigeria is not that bad… no country is immune to criminality,” he said.

The minister maintained that insecurity persisted largely due to local collaborators aiding insurgents for profit.

“They are the ones prolonging this strife,” he said.

He added that while mistakes could occur in military operations, the armed forces investigate incidents, engage affected communities and provide compensation where necessary.

“We are humans and this is war… we go back to communities and pay compensations,” he said.