The Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, says Nigeria’s military still maintains control over insecurity in spite of renewed terrorist and bandit attacks in the North East.
Musa gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja after a strategic meeting with Service Chiefs and senior military officers who reviewed operational strategies across various theatres of operation nationwide.
He said the meeting assessed the current security situation and to strengthen ongoing efforts to defeat terrorists and other criminal elements threatening national security.
Ge. Musa said “we are aware of the issues on ground, but I want to assure Nigerians that members of the Armed Forces are working tirelessly to ensure that Nigeria is safe and secure,” he said.
He acknowledged that the military had recorded some casualties during the operations, saying the terrorists and bandits suffered heavier losses.
“We are taking out more of their commanders and destroying their assets, and we will continue to do that,” he said, and urged Nigerians to continue supporting the Armed Forces and other security agencies, to tackle insecurity which required a whole-of-government and society approach.
He warned against the spread of false information on social media, adding that misinformation could undermine security efforts and affect troop morale.
According to him, citizens should always verify security-related information with the Armed Forces rather than rely on unverified online reports.
The minister also appealed to media organisations to exercise professionalism and avoid amplifying terrorist propaganda through the circulation of videos and materials produced by criminal groups.
“When you use their videos and pictures, you give them the opportunity to shine and use it as propaganda to demoralise our troops,” he said.
