The Minister of Defence General Christopher Gwabin Musa Rtd has stated that terrorism remains Nigeria’s most complex and challenging security threat facing the nation today.
Speaking at a panel session on Countering Terrorism International Cooperation Reclaimed at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026 in Türkiye the former Chief of Defence Staff emphasized that terrorism has become increasingly complex adaptive and transnational driven by decentralised networks emerging technologies and illicit financing.
General Musa warned that the convergence of terrorism organised crime and banditry particularly across fragile regions such as the Sahel demands urgent and coordinated global action. He stated that no country regardless of strength or capacity can confront terrorism alone and collective security must guide our response.
The Defence Minister highlighted that as terrorists increasingly exploit digital platforms encryption and hybrid criminal networks global responses must advance faster through technology adoption enhanced intelligence integration and deeper collaboration.
At the University of Ibadan in July 2025 General Musa had already warned that terrorism climate change cyber threats and geopolitical tensions are intensifying global fragility and worsening Nigeria’s already complex security challenges. He traced Nigeria’s current security complexities to wider global disruptions noting that instability in regions such as Libya and the Sahel has led to the unchecked spread of arms and extremist ideologies now fuelling terrorism and banditry within Nigeria.
General Musa firmly rejected dialogue amnesty or ransom payments as viable solutions to banditry and terrorism. He identified intelligence compromise and community collaboration with criminals plus Nigeria’s extensive and poorly secured borders that enable foreign criminals to enter carry out attacks and escape easily as major obstacles to defeating insecurity.
The Minister reiterated that Nigeria must strengthen collaboration with its neighbours to effectively tackle terrorism warning that insecurity is not solely a military problem but a broader governance intelligence and social crises issue. He emphasized that the kinetic approach alone cannot solve all the challenges and will only provide an enabling environment for all other aspects to take place.
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