Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, convened an emergency high-level meeting with all service chiefs at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, March 11, amid a fresh wave of terrorist attacks on military bases across the North East.
Those present included the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abass; and representatives from the National Intelligence Agency.
The meeting was called against the backdrop of a sharp deterioration in security conditions in Borno State, where at least three Commanding Officers holding the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel were recently killed by terrorists, with many soldiers also losing their lives and hundreds of civilians remaining in captivity.
Speaking after the meeting, Musa said it was convened to review ongoing military strategies in different operational theatres nationwide, assuring Nigerians that members of the armed forces are working tirelessly to ensure the country remains safe and secure.
He acknowledged that the military had suffered losses in recent operations but maintained that the balance of casualties favoured government forces. The minister stated that while troops have suffered some casualties, terrorists are sustaining the heavier losses in ongoing operations across the country.
Following the meeting, Musa directed the service chiefs to personally visit the North West and North East to reassess and reinvigorate military operations on the ground, with the chiefs expected to report their findings after the visits.
The directive came amid a recent spate of terrorist attacks in which military bases have frequently been targeted including an assault by ISWAP fighters on a facility in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State that claimed the life of a commanding officer.
The minister also delivered a stern warning to those providing support to terrorist networks. Musa cautioned that anyone supplying information or logistical support to terrorists would be treated as an accomplice and dealt with in the same manner as the insurgents themselves.
He also appealed to media organisations to exercise professionalism and avoid amplifying terrorist propaganda by circulating videos and materials produced by criminal groups, warning that doing so gives insurgents a platform to undermine troop morale. The minister urged all Nigerians to see the fight against insecurity as a shared national responsibility.
