…CDS Musa hails military synergy in War Against Terror
… How Terrorists Use Gold to Fund Bloodshed
By John Paul
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has declared that Nigeria’s Armed Forces are making decisive breakthroughs in the war against insurgency, pointing to the recent capture of key terrorist commanders as evidence that the tide is turning.
Speaking on a television interview Thursday, General Musa said the military deserves commendation for the “giant strides” achieved so far, stressing that no country in the world is completely free from security challenges.
“Sixteen years we’ve been like this; it’s not something, within two years, that we will stop. But I can tell you, we’ve made giant strides. We just mentioned the Ansaru commanders that were arrested. This is one of the most significant arrests that have been made. Getting the two of them shows how detailed the planning was,” he said.
The defence chief cited the arrest of the son of Boko Haram’s founder and two top Ansaru leaders as a testament to improved intelligence sharing and joint operations among the Army, Navy, and Air Force. “What has changed is synergy. That is why we are seeing all these successes,” he said.
Musa noted that the terrorist leaders had been on the run for years, but were finally tracked down after painstaking operations. “These are guys who were hunted for a very long time. The arrests prove that intelligence and operational planning are working together,” he added.
He explained that insecurity cannot vanish overnight, but insisted Nigerians should be grateful that the country is on a surer path to peace. “I don’t think there’s any country that has 100% peace. But things are really picking up,” he said.
On terrorist financing, the CDS revealed that extremist groups are increasingly using gold transactions and international networks to fund their activities. “They try to circulate money through gold. Because it involves international connections, we cannot immediately act from within. But the process of tracking is on,” he disclosed.
General Musa admitted that difficult terrains, poor roads, and a lack of communication networks hinder rapid responses to attacks in some parts of the country. “Many Nigerians think we are magicians; we are not. Sometimes by the time information reaches us, the bandits are gone, because they move faster on bad roads and with better mobility,” he explained.
In the North-East, he said, the presence of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) slows down troop movements, but assured that the military remains relentless in pursuit of insurgents.
“Our men work day and night, covertly, picking these terrorists. Nigerians can be assured: it will only get better,” Musa vowed.