Defence Minister Launches New Strategy: Troops Leave Highways, Target Terror Camps

Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has unveiled a sweeping reform agenda aimed at dismantling the operational networks of terrorists and restoring peace across the country. Speaking during his confirmation screening at the Senate on Wednesday, the former Chief of Defence Staff announced that soldiers currently manning road checkpoints nationwide will be withdrawn and redeployed into forests and border zones where insurgents operate.

The minister said police officers and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) will take over checkpoint duties, allowing the military to “go into the bushes” and directly neutralize armed groups threatening national security.

> “We are pulling our troops out of checkpoints and taking the fight straight to the terrorists. The police and civil defence corps will handle checkpoints while our soldiers go into the bushes to take out these criminals,” he declared.

For decades, military checkpoints have dotted major highways, particularly in volatile regions. But Musa signaled a strategic shift — one that moves away from reactive defence to targeted, offensive deployment.

General Musa tied the strategy to food security, noting that insecurity has crippled farming activities, triggered rural displacement, and worsened hunger.

> “Farmers must be able to go back to their farms. Food security is national security. A hungry man is an angry man, and if people cannot eat, you can imagine the consequences,” Musa said.

He revealed that soldiers will work in collaboration with NSCDC’s Agro Rangers to secure rural communities, farming clusters, and major agricultural belts across the country.

Tracking Terrorists: A Single National Database

Another pillar of Musa’s strategy is the creation of a unified national database — one identity ecosystem for all citizens, linking everything from biometrics to banking.

> “First-world countries succeed because the basics are in place — a unified database. A criminal should not be able to commit a crime in Sokoto and disappear into Kano. With ICT, we can track everything,” he said.

Musa said fragmented databases managed separately by the police, Immigration, and other agencies make criminals “invisible” once they cross state lines.
He proposed a fully harmonized platform with unique identities for each citizen, allowing security agencies to trace money, movement, and digital footprints instantly.

He cited global examples where offenders face immediate digital sanctions:

> “In some countries, once you commit a crime, your bank account is frozen, your ATM stops working. Why can’t we do that?”

No More Ransom: ‘Zero Tolerance for Negotiation’

The Defence Minister vowed to eliminate ransom payments to kidnappers. He said that ransom transactions — whether through cash or digital channels — will be tracked through the financial system.

> “We must stop ransom payments. Even when people try to pay, we can trace it through the banking system and follow the money. Technology gives us the power to track kidnappers and their financiers,” he insisted.

Musa declared a complete rejection of negotiation with criminals, adding that deals with terrorist networks only allow them time to regroup and acquire more weapons.

> “Negotiation with criminals is a no-no. It only gives them time to rearm. We’ve seen communities try it, and they still get attacked,” he said.

Tackling Piracy and the Maritime Crime Industry

The minister also highlighted emerging security risks in coastal regions, particularly around Akwa Ibom and the Nigeria–Cameroon corridor. He said maritime areas have seen a resurgence of piracy, sea robbery, cult violence, and trans-border kidnapping — prompting an expansion of Operation Delta Safe.

> “We have expanded the operations to cover silent hotspots along the coast. Maritime environments are now a major theatre of crime, and we are pushing back aggressively,” he explained.

Musa identified illegal mining — especially gold and mineral trafficking — as a major financial engine sustaining violent groups in the North-West and North-Central.

He promised a total ban on illegal mining operations and said security agencies will shut down mining camps that serve as funding channels for insurgents.

> “Illegal mining fuels insecurity. We are working with the National Security Adviser to shut those channels and stop the money flow that buys weapons,” he said.

A New Combat Doctrine

General Musa’s approach signals a shift away from static deployments to high-mobility counterterror operations, intelligence-driven targeting, and digital surveillance infrastructure.
His plan stitches together physical military operations, financial intelligence, data harmonization, and inter-agency collaboration — all under a doctrine of no negotiation, no ransom.

“If Nigerians can return to their farms without fear — only then can we say we are winning,” the defence minister concluded.