Nigeria’s porous borders must be fenced to ensure National Security – Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, says (video)

In order to address the nation’s increasing insecurity, General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defense Staff, has called for Nigeria’s borders to be fenced.

Musa cautioned that terrorists are taking advantage of Nigeria’s porous borders, bringing in weapons and combatants, and occasionally using sophisticated surveillance tools like drones in an interview with Arise TV on Thursday, June 19.

“Having gone through my analysis and looking at the Sahel, the main attraction to all these terrorists and bandits is Nigeria, because this perception that Nigeria is a rich country. And that there’s no law to prevent them from getting there. And the borders are porous.

For us to be secure, it is important. Let us fence our borders. Some people say, look, it’s expensive. But I say, what is money if you are dead? It’s of no use.”

Musa suggested that, in order to boost local industry and job creation, fencing should start in high-risk areas like the Niger-Nigeria border and be backed by wire mesh, surveillance drones, and locally made materials like steel from Ajaokuta.

His comments coincide with an increase in violence in Benue State, where a recent massacre in the Yelwata community claimed the lives of over 150 people. 

Additionally, the Chief of Defense Staff confirmed that some people had been arrested in relation to the Yelwata attack last weekend.

“The police has arrested a number of people. And actions have been taken. Investigations are ongoing with the DSS, the police. You know, it takes a lot. So, because we are lower abiding individuals, so we have to be sure of what we’re doing. And I think that’s a critical aspect. All the security forces are working together to ensure that this stops.”

He emphasized that all criminals, regardless of origin, must be held accountable and added that the lack of public prosecution of previous offenders has encouraged new ones.

“A criminal is a criminal. Everyone who commits a crime should be prosecuted. That has not been done, so, that is the issue.”

He characterized the situation in Benue as a complicated combination of political manipulation, land grabbing, terrorism, banditry, and retaliatory killings, rather than just a farmer-herder crisis. He emphasized that only when state and community leaders make room for law enforcement, reconciliation, and shared security agreements will there be true peace again.

“Everybody is playing a part… We must make them communicate,” he said.

Musa also raised concerns about the way terrorist organizations like Boko Haram and ISWAP are changing their strategies. He disclosed that these groups are now using drones and advanced battlefield technology to deploy foreign-trained operatives, which forces the military to constantly re-think its approach.

“So far, within the Boko Haram commanders and delegates, we have killed over almost 80 of the commanders. But you know, the problem is the borders are empty. People are infiltrating. There is a lot of poverty right from the Sahelian region. The whole of suffering from Sudan, Central African Republic, cutting down up to even Mali and all this, Mali and Libya is open. Free trade of weapons, no leadership. So that’s why it’s easier for these things to infiltrate down into Nigeria. Right. And that’s why even with the killings, as you are killing more still want to come in. And then there’s poverty, there’s illiteracy. But there also appears to be improvements in the use of technology by the insurgents. Definitely. And that’s why we’re talking about the foreign fighters.

We had information about some other ones coming together because some of them also go for foreign training abroad and then they want to use technology, drones particularly. We have had reasons to see them use drones. But again, after the initial about five weeks ago that we had those setbacks, we have re-strategised our operations. And now they’re on the run. We have taken down so many as we speak.”

Watch the video of him speaking below