Insecurity: Nigeria's Defence Chief Mentions Most Dangerous Border, "Critical"

• Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, General Christopher Musa, called for urgent and decisive measures to secure the country’s borders and address escalating insecurity, especially in Benue state and other parts of the north central region
• Central Nigeria has seen escalating violence and armed killings as nomadic cattle herders and farmers clash over resources
• Speaking in an interview on Arise News, seen by Legit.ng, General Musa said Nigeria had become a main attraction for terrorist and criminal groups operating in the Sahel region due to its porous borders

Sokoto, Sokoto state - Christopher Musa, chief of defence staff (CDS), has said the Nigerian border with the Niger Republic is the most porous and dangerous.

Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Thursday, June 19, monitored by Legit.ng, Musa said that for Nigeria to combat terrorism effectively, the border must be fenced.

'Nigeria's border with Niger porous'

He said:

“All around us, we have Francophone countries. Our ideologies are not the same. For us to be secure, it is important, let us fence our borders.”

Furthermore, Musa singled out the Niger Republic border as the most critical point of concern.

The security chief added:

“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. The Boko Haram are coming in from the Sahel. The ISWAP guys are coming in all through those areas. So that’s why it’s critical.”

Legit.ng reports that West Africa’s Sahel region has seen an uptick in violence in recent years following the rise of armed fighters linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) armed groups that took over territory in north Mali after the 2012 Tuareg rebellion.

Since then, it has spread into neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso, and more recently into the north of coastal West African countries such as Togo and Ghana.

In Nigeria, Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters mainly operate in Borno state and have attacked both security forces and civilians, killing and displacing tens of thousands of people.

Although weakened by military assaults and internal fighting over the years, Boko Haram and ISWAP have stepped up attacks in Borno since the turn of the year, killing dozens of farmers and fishermen in a series of raids.

Read more on Nigeria's security challenge:

• Tinubu speaks on why insecurity persists in Nigeria
• Tinubu's govt reveals when insecurity in Nigeria will end

Possible internal sabotage within Nigerian military

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that General Musa alleged the presence of saboteurs within the Nigerian military, linking them to the Yelwata massacre in Benue state that claimed over 200 lives.

Speaking during a recent visit to Yelwata to assess the destruction caused by the deadly attack, Musa disclosed that some military personnel have been betraying the army by leaking vital information to bandits.

Buttressing his point, CDS Musa pointed out that the targeted nature of the killings and arson suggests insider involvement.

Source: Legit.ng