Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, on Wednesday said one of his key strategies for tackling insurgency is to withdraw soldiers from road checkpoints and redeploy them into the bush to directly confront terrorists.

Mr Musa, a retired general, said police officers and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) would take over checkpoint duties from the military.

He said this while responding to questions during his screening at the Senate.

He was responding to a question on how he plans to enforce discipline among military officers.

“I can assure you that we’re going to address them totally. We’re going to have independent patrol teams that will go and make sure that we do, and what we want to do again is to withdraw basically all military men out of checkpoints and let the police and civil defence corps handle those aspects so that we can go into the bushes and take out these criminals wherever it is they are. It’s important,” he said.

For decades, soldiers have manned checkpoints across Nigerian roads, especially in volatile areas, to support civil authorities in maintaining security.

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Other agencies, including state-backed hunters and vigilante outfits, also maintain checkpoints in various states.

Soldiers will help farmers return to the farm

Mr Musa said the redeployment of soldiers in the bushes will play a crucial role in restoring farming activities.

“Farmers must be able to go back to their farms. That is to show that we’re achieving success because as little as that, it is very important because food security is big. If there is hunger, an angry man…as a hungry man is an angry man. And so if people can’t eat, you can imagine what will happen.

“So, for us, I think, protecting the farm, working with the civil defence corps that have the agro farmers, agro rangers, it’s very important for us to continue to work together,” he added.

Tracking terrorists through unified database

On how he plans to track terrorists, the minister said he would promote the creation of a unified national database, similar to systems used in developed countries

“If we look at first world countries, why are they succeeding? They’ve been able to put some basic things in place, something as simple as a database for all citizens. I think that’s one area that we need to be, so that we can also assist the security forces.

“And even developmentally, we need to know the number of people in particular areas so that we can know whether we have markets or schools or hospitals in those areas. I think it’s important that we must have a comprehensive database and not the database that immigration will be having, police is having something,” he said.

The defence minister-designate stressed that such a database would allow security agencies to easily trace criminals across state lines.

“No, we need a unified one that they will be able to carry so that when you commit a crime, it’s easier to track you. It’s easier to trace. That aspect that people can easily commit one crime in Sokoto and run to Maiduguri and go and stay, or run to Kano or somewhere and nobody knows them, makes it a lot easier for them.

“There are countries where you commit one offence, even your bank account is closed. Your ATM cannot work. Now with ICT we can do a lot. So, I think it’s important at this stage for us to start looking at how we can link up all those details together to have a unified one that will assist us in doing this,” he stated.

Criticising ransom payments

Mr Musa also vowed that under his leadership, the Ministry of Defence will work to eliminate ransom payments to kidnappers.

On how he intends to achieve this, the minister-designate said ransom payments can be tracked through the financial system.

“What we need to do, sir, is working together as a team in addressing…making sure that we address them within Nigeria and do not give them any freeway, any aspects that they need to do.

“We must stop ransom payments and in doing that, sir, even when ransoms are being paid, because people want to do that, we can track the monies being paid and where does the money come from? There is a lot you can do using the banking system that we can do this and track those things backwards. The use of technology is very important and like I said, sir, if we’re able to have a database and every Nigerian has a number linked to everything you have electronically, we can monitor anything,” he said.

He also highlighted security challenges in the maritime environment, including piracy, sea robbery, and cross-border crimes between Akwa Ibom State and Cameroon, noting that Operation Delta Safe has already been expanded to address these threats.

“I think those are areas that we need to look at and be able to address. Again, the issue of the maritime environment, very, very challenging environment that is there, again, linking with the border, especially Akwa-Ibom to Cameroon and those other areas. We know there’s less increase. Normally, when the pressure is on in the South-south, we go back to issues of sea robbery and piracy and these issues on ground. Again, issues of cultism and all these things. Now, we make sure that our operations within those areas are enhanced using the operation Delta Safe, expanding their reach.

“Initially, because those areas were a bit quiet, they didn’t extend them. Butt now what we have done, even before I left, is we’ve extended operations within those areas to be able to address those maritime environments, to make sure that we stop these acts because there’s issue of kidnapping coming from those areas. Collaboration, sir, is critical. No one individual can do this together. We must work, it’s a no-no to negotiation. There is no negotiation with any criminal and I think that should be made very, very clear,” he added.

He added that his approach would include a total ban on illegal mining and other activities that fuel insecurity.

“We’re working together, we’re going to work together with the NSA’s office to ensure that states don’t adopt such things because those things compromise security. if you negotiate with them, they will never abide by it. It’s just a moment. When they do that, they want to buy time to buy more arms and then they are going to come and we have seen it repeatedly. There are even localities that have done that. They still come after them. So, sir, it’s a total ban on that, total ban on illegal mining and all those other aspects that are bringing these things together. So, I think we must be able to do that.“