The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has warned state governments to immediately stop engaging in peace deals with armed bandits, describing such arrangements as counterproductive and harmful to Nigeria’s security efforts.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa Service, Gen. Musa said the Federal Government has consistently advised all levels of government against negotiating with armed groups, stressing that bandits cannot be trusted to honour any agreement.
“There will be no peace deal with bandits. We have advised all levels of government not to take that route because these bandits are not truthful and will not abide by any agreement. It only makes the fight against insurgency more difficult,” he said.
The defence minister added that clear messages have been sent to individuals and authorities still engaging in such dealings to desist immediately.
“Now we run a democratic government, so we can’t force compliance with might but we have sent messages to them and I am sure they will comply.”
The Minister also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s stance on ransom payments, stating that the government does not pay ransom to kidnappers. According to him, anyone who pays ransom does so in a personal capacity and not on behalf of the government.The Federal Government does not pay ransom. Anyone doing so is acting on his own,” he said. Regarding rumours that ransom might have been paid in cases of recent school abductions, he said: “The federal government did not pay any ransom, sometimes the intense military pressure is what forces the kidnappers to abandon the victims and allows us to successfully rescue them.”
On the broader security strategy, the minister assured Nigerians that the military was intensifying its operations by leveraging technology and strengthening regional cooperation. He noted that Nigeria was working closely with neighbouring countries to prevent criminal elements from crossing borders to destabilise the country.
“We are collaborating with neighbouring countries to ensure that criminal elements do not infiltrate Nigeria from their territories,” Musa said.
He also reaffirmed his earlier stance on having a wall at the borders, saying; “Having a physical border will allow us to stop cross-border movement of criminal elements.”
He also called on Nigerians to stop all forms of collaboration with insurgents, including supplying them with food, essentials, or information about movements of troops.
“I am calling on people to stop supplying them with foodstuffs, essentials, or any information about troop movement. That is the only way we can cripple them,” he said, warning that money made from such transactions is “blood money” for which people would one day be held accountable.
Addressing the narrative around Christian genocide driven by US President Donald Trump, Gen. Musa emphasised that the violence was not targeted at any particular religious group.
“These people are killing Nigerians, not Christians or Muslims. They have zero empathy and attack everyone,” he said, adding that even international partners now understand this reality.
He disclosed that the United States has acknowledged this position, noting that US President Trump admitted that the attacks were against Nigerians as a whole, not based on religion.
Commenting on recent American airstrikes in Sokoto State, the defence minister described the operation as highly successful.
“It was very successful. Many of them were killed, and those who survived fled to Niger Republic,” Musa said.
He reaffirmed the military’s commitment to crushing insurgent and bandit groups, insisting that sustained military pressure, public cooperation, and the rejection of negotiations with criminals remained key to restoring lasting peace across Nigeria.
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