The Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has issued a strong warning about the country’s most dangerous border, urging urgent action to prevent terrorist groups from continuing to use it as a route into Nigeria.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News, General Musa noted that the border between Nigeria and the Niger Republic is the weakest and most unsafe in the region.
He pointed out that it serves as the main entry point for several terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram and ISWAP, who regularly cross into Nigeria to carry out deadly attacks.
“The reason is because, having gone through my analysis and looking at the Sahel, the main attraction to all these terrorists and bandits is Nigeria,” he said.
General Musa explained that Nigeria is surrounded by Francophone countries with different ideologies and that the lack of border control has made it easier for terrorists to move freely into Nigerian territory. He noted that Nigeria must take steps to secure itself by building a fence along its border with Niger.
“For us to be secure, it is important, let us fence our borders,” Musa said, adding that the cost of fencing should not outweigh the value of human life. “Some people say, look, it’s expensive. I say, what is money if you are dead?”
He suggested the use of modern surveillance tools such as drones and cameras, which would help reduce the number of troops required to guard the area while increasing efficiency.
According to him, the fence would also allow security agencies to redeploy personnel to other critical areas. He noted that even if the project could not be done nationwide at once, it should start from the Niger border, given its severity.
“And the most critical one for us now even if we want to start let’s start with Nigeria and Niger [border]. That’s the most dangerous because… that’s where they’re coming in,” Musa said.
He added that state governments could begin work in phases and gradually build a comprehensive border control system across the country.
The call comes after a series of brutal attacks, including a massacre in the Yelwata community of Benue State, where over 200 people were killed. Security officials suspect that the attackers came from outside the country, likely through the same porous border General Musa warned about.
