Newly appointed Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has issued a strong directive to troops to immediately engage armed bandits on sight, emphasizing that they do not need to wait for further orders during life-threatening situations.
Speaking during his Senate screening on Wednesday, Musa said the directive was critical for frontline protection and restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s security forces.
He made the statement in response to concerns about delays in command during confrontations with insurgents.
Musa explained that once deployed, soldiers automatically have the mandate to neutralize armed criminals.
“You are to engage any criminal or any bandit that is armed and about to kill you. You don’t have to wait. Once you are deployed, you automatically have that responsibility,” he said.
He added a stern warning for soldiers who hesitate: “Somebody’s aiming at you, you’re waiting for orders, from who? If any member of the armed forces deployed anywhere tells you that he’s waiting for an order, he is lying and he’s only a coward.”
The Defence Minister also announced plans to withdraw soldiers from routine checkpoints, redeploying them to active conflict zones, while the police and NSCDC take over checkpoint duties. This strategy, he said, will allow troops to focus on neutralizing criminals in the bushes.
Musa stressed the need to restore security for farmers, noting: “Farmers must be able to go back to their farms. If people can’t eat, you can imagine what will happen.”
Addressing the rising wave of killings, he described the perpetrators as “a bunch of evil people on drugs” and warned that terrorists exploit gaps in security coordination. “No Nigerian must be killed for whatever reason,” he added.
Acknowledging the high expectations tied to his new role, Musa said: “I know that I cannot afford to fail myself, fail my nation, fail my family.”
