Newly appointed Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has issued a firm directive to military personnel, instructing them to engage armed bandits and criminal elements immediately upon sight, without waiting for clearance from superior officers. Musa made this known on Wednesday during his Senate confirmation hearing, where lawmakers raised concerns over reported delays in troops’ responses during life-threatening situations.
Responding to these concerns, Musa explained that any soldier deployed to a conflict zone already carries the full mandate to neutralize armed threats. According to him, security operatives must depend on their training, instincts, and rules of engagement to defend themselves, protect fellow troops, and safeguard the civilians they are assigned to defend. Waiting for explicit orders in the face of imminent danger, he said, is unacceptable and contradicts military ethics.
He emphasized that every deployed officer is thoroughly briefed ahead of an operation; therefore, no soldier can claim ignorance or hide behind the excuse of awaiting instruction. Musa described such hesitation as an act of cowardice. He maintained that when an armed criminal is prepared to attack, troops must act instantly to stop the threat. Anything short of this, he argued, could cost lives and compromise national security operations.
The defence minister also revealed plans to overhaul the current deployment structure. Soldiers, he said, will be pulled away from routine checkpoints and redeployed to forests and conflict-prone areas where bandits and terrorists operate. Checkpoint duties, he added, will be handed over to the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. This rearrangement is intended to give the military full focus on offensive operations, especially in remote areas where kidnappers and insurgents frequently take refuge.
Musa stressed that restoring security in rural communities is essential for reviving agricultural activities. He warned that if farmers continue to abandon their farmlands due to fear of attacks, the nation could face escalating food shortages. Strengthened collaboration among security agencies, he added, will be central to securing food-producing regions.
Addressing widespread killings across the country, Musa described the perpetrators as “evil individuals,” often driven by drugs and lacking respect for human life. He called for collective action to close security gaps that allow criminals to strike.
On recruitment into the armed forces, Musa said the ministry is tightening background checks to reduce sabotage risks. He noted that some applicants shy away from deployment to conflict zones, while certain regions contribute fewer recruits, creating imbalance. Although over 70,000 applicants have shown interest, he said recruitment will be carefully structured to ensure national representation.
Musa acknowledged the pressure that comes with his new responsibilities, saying he is determined not to fail the nation. He proposed tapping into the expertise of retired military officers, many of whom possess decades of invaluable operational experience.
He attributed the persistence of insecurity to years of overlooked structural issues and promised to prioritize stronger coordination between communities, security agencies, and government institutions. His leadership, he assured the Senate, will focus on closing these gaps to strengthen national safety.