The newly appointed Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has ordered troops to engage armed bandits immediately on sight without waiting for further directives.
Musa, during his Senate screening on Wednesday, said this instruction was essential for frontline protection and for restoring confidence in the country’s security efforts.
Musa issued the directive while responding to lawmakers’ concerns about command delays during encounters with insurgents.
He explained that military personnel automatically assume the mandate to kill armed criminals once deployed to conflict zones.
According to him, troops must rely on their training and instincts to protect themselves, their colleagues, and the communities under their watch.
He said, “And for the troop, every personnel member that is deployed knows why they’re deployed. You are to engage any criminal or any bandit that is armed and about to kill you. You don’t have to wait.
“Somebody’s aiming to shoot at you, you’re waiting for orders, from who? Once you are deployed, you automatically have that responsibility.”
Musa added that troops cannot claim they are awaiting authorisation when confronting imminent danger.
He continued, “Your colleague is to be shot and you know, there is no other way of stopping it, other than to kill the person. You are to secure the community or property you are protecting, and this they all know.
“So 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.
“There is nothing like he’s waiting for any order. The order is automatic. He’s briefed before he’s deployed. And I think that it is very important that we be able to bridge that gap.”
Musa also disclosed that the defence ministry plans to withdraw soldiers from routine checkpoints and redeploy them to active conflict zones.
He said the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps would take over checkpoint operations, allowing soldiers to confront insurgents in difficult terrain.
He stated, “What we want to do is withdraw all personnel and military men from all checkpoints and let the police and civil defence handle those aspects.
“These will enable the military men to go into the bushes and take out these criminals, wherever they are as it’s important.
“Farmers must be able to go back to their farms… If people can’t eat, you can imagine what will happen.”
Musa stressed the need for continuous collaboration between security agencies to secure food-producing communities and restore agricultural activities disrupted by violence.
Addressing rising concerns around mass killings across regions, Musa described the situation as one that affects every Nigerian.
He said, “People are killed, people are dying. That’s why it’s important, that we must come together and it is when we allow them to have gaps that they penetrate.
“They don’t care who they kill. A bunch of evil people that are on drugs… no Nigerians must be killed for whatever reason.”
On military recruitment, Musa said the ministry is strengthening background checks to prevent sabotage and ensure that only committed applicants are enlisted.
He observed that some applicants avoid postings to conflict areas, while some states contribute fewer recruits to the national pool.
He stated, “On the issue of saboteurs normally we recruit from the society. Recruitments are going to be thorough which brings us back to the use of a database.
“A lot of people now because there is war, even in the military you find some people not willing to go to where there are conflicts.
“Again, we have observed some states, regions that don’t enrol. Currently, we have over 70,000 applying to join, however, we have a way of balancing it so Nigerians can participate.”
Musa acknowledged the high expectations attached to his appointment and said he intends to deliver on national security obligations.
In his words, “I am also feeling the heat. I know that I cannot afford to fail myself, fail my nation, fail my family.”
The minister proposed engaging retired military personnel to support national security structures, noting that their decades of experience should not be wasted.
He said, “Some retirees have over 40 years of experience. They are very brilliant and committed, Let us utilize them.”
Musa concluded by attributing the persistence of terrorism and banditry to years of neglected security gaps, including weak coordination with communities and government structures.
He assured Nigerians and lawmakers that his leadership will prioritise closing these gaps to improve national safety.