‘Why Southwest Nigeria Is Safer Than Other Regions’ –Incoming Defence Minister, Musa
Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), has warned that the escalating cross-border incursions by armed groups into parts of the North-Central and Southwest regions will persist unless governors strengthen regional collaboration and security coordination.
Speaking during his ministerial screening at the Senate Chamber in Abuja on Wednesday, Musa, the defence minister-designate, praised the Southwest for what he described as a model of regional unity, noting that the zone’s relative security calm is not accidental but the result of deliberate cooperation among its governors.
“Why the Southwest seems to be doing very well is because all the governors agreed together,” he said. “Regionally, governors must come together, because two, three are better than one.”
Musa stressed that armed groups operating in the North exploit Nigeria’s porous borders and the lack of joint security structures among neighbouring states.
According to him, bandits operating around Sokoto, Niger Republic, and other border corridors gain strength from their ability to flee across international lines, knowing Nigerian forces cannot pursue them once they enter another country.
“Bandits do not respect borders at all,” he warned. “Where they get their strength is the ability to run when you attack them, especially around the Sokoto axis into Niger. Once they get into Niger, you can’t touch them until they come back.”
He called for urgent support to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) stationed in N’Djamena, insisting that its capacity must be expanded to secure border areas stretching toward Mali and Burkina Faso, where new threats are emerging.
Musa linked the recent incursions into Kwara State and attempts to push further into the Southwest to these same cross-border movements, warning that the country must act quickly to prevent militants from pushing deeper south.
“We’re beginning to have those incursions into Kwara, coming down southwest. We must stop them from getting further than that,” he said.
The minister added that ongoing security efforts are being reorganized to create a more unified front, emphasizing that all MDAs involved in national security must understand and perform their roles.
“Action has already been taken. What remains is to harmonize everything and ensure all the MDAs know they have a role to play.”