Newly appointed Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has issued a decisive directive to troops, instructing them to immediately engage armed bandits on sight without waiting for further orders.
Musa gave the order on Wednesday during his Senate screening, stressing that swift engagement is necessary to protect frontline troops and rebuild public confidence in Nigeria’s security operations. His comment came in response to lawmakers’ concerns about delays in command during insurgent encounters.
“You are to engage any criminal or bandit that is armed and about to kill you. You don’t have to wait,” he told the Senate. “Once you are deployed, you automatically have that responsibility.”
He warned that no soldier should claim to be awaiting authorisation when faced with imminent danger. “Somebody is aiming to shoot at you, and you’re waiting for orders—from who? If any member of the armed forces deployed anywhere tells you he’s waiting for an order, he is lying and only being a coward,” he said.
Musa also announced plans to withdraw soldiers from routine checkpoints and redeploy them to active conflict zones. He said the police and NSCDC would take over checkpoint duties to allow troops focus on confronting terrorists and bandits directly.
“We need our soldiers in the bushes taking out these criminals,” he stated.
Emphasising the impact of insecurity on food production, Musa said restoring safety for farmers is a priority. “Farmers must be able to go back to their farms. If people can’t eat, you can imagine what will happen,” he noted.
Commenting on the rising attacks across regions, he described the perpetrators as “a bunch of evil people on drugs,” and stressed that coordinated security efforts are essential to stop them. “No Nigerian must be killed for whatever reason,” he declared.
Musa acknowledged the weight of the expectations tied to his new role. “I know that I cannot afford to fail myself, fail my nation, or fail my family,” he said.
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