The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of Nigeria, General Christopher Musa, has accused certain individuals of sabotaging the government’s efforts to combat insurgency in the country. Speaking in Abuja on Saturday, Musa expressed his frustration over these individuals and reaffirmed that the government will not allow them to thwart the ongoing campaign against terrorism.
Musa’s comments came after he received 58 kidnapped victims, who had been rescued by security forces, from the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. Among the rescued were men, women, and children, some of whom were very young. The CDS questioned the motives behind such kidnappings, saying, “You can see from the people, the women, the children, both girls and boys, and the little one. The question you want to ask is why would somebody kidnap these kinds of people? If you see them, they are barely just surviving.”
The CDS also addressed a common misconception, stating that not all individuals involved in banditry had joined willingly. He revealed that some were forced into it through conscription, highlighting the need for continued military action. “For the innocent blood they have spilled, for those they have restricted their freedom, the security personnel will get back at them, and they will face the law,” Musa added.
In his statement, the CDS clarified that no ransom was paid to secure the release of the victims, emphasizing the military’s determination to use both kinetic and non-kinetic methods to tackle insecurity. “It’s a joint effort. We’re able to do that through non-kinetic means of getting across. No penny was paid for these individuals,” he said, urging the public to support the security agencies in their mission to restore peace.
Major General Adamu Laka, the National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Center, revealed that the victims had been kidnapped by armed bandits working under the leadership of a notorious terrorist known as Janbros. During the ordeal, the victims were forced to trek for hundreds of kilometers through the dense forests of Birnin Gwari. The government has since provided medical and psychological support to stabilize the victims, with six of them initially hospitalized before being released to their families.
Sani Limankila, the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kaduna State, urged Nigerians to join forces with security agencies in the fight to end kidnapping. The kidnapped individuals, 35 men and 23 women, had been abducted from their homes and farms in the Gayam, Sabon Layi, and Kwaga villages of Dan Musa Local Government Area in Katsina State. They were rescued by the Nigerian Army’s 1 Division troops on November 14.
