RACE TO CAPTURE MOST WANTED: Does CDS Musa have what it takes to end banditry in Nigeria?

On Thursday, May 15, 2025, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, made another of his oft-repeated promise that it is just a matter of time before insecurity that has been ravaging the country is stamped out.

While addressing journalists in Maiduguri, Borno State, when he led other security chiefs on an assessment visit to the Theatre Command North East ‘Operation Hadin Kai’, Musa reiterated that the wave of renewed attacks by Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) should not be a cause of concern for Nigerians because, according to him, the terror groups were on the verge of being wiped out for good.

He insisted that the Nigerian military and other security agencies were firmly in control of the situation in the North-East despite the resurgence of insurgent activities in the region.

“The pockets of attacks should not be a cause for concern as the military and security agencies are firmly in control,” Musa had said.

“Security is not a one-man business. I appeal to everyone to join the fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP, banditry, kidnapping, and all forms of criminality for the peace and development of our country.

“The Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to bringing lasting peace and development to all parts of Nigeria.

“But let’s say that the pockets of renewed attacks should not be a cause of concern as the Nigerian Military and other security agencies are on top of the situation.

“We have also procured more sophisticated weapons which will soon be deployed with new strategies to end the madness of Terrorism.

“What we are witnessing here is an eclipse caused by pressure on terrorists in the Sahel region, forcing them to increase attacks in Nigeria, especially around the porous borders of the Lake Chad Basin.

“We are working diligently to address these challenges. During my recent trip to Russia, Nigeria maintained a non-aligned stance but engaged with key stakeholders ready to partner with us in this fight,” the CDS added.

READ ALSO: Gov Zulum bans indiscriminate felling of trees in Borno

Despite the CDS’s regular assurances, the reality on ground has shown that the Nigerian military is no where close to winning the war against terrorism in the country.

A recent report published by SBM Intelligence revealed that at least 2000 Nigerians have been killed by terrorists and bandits in the first quarter of 2025 alone, with most of the attacks recorded in Borno, Zamfara, Plateau, Katsina, Benue, Kaduna, Niger, Edo, Ondo and Anambra States.

A breakdown of the figures showed that Borno recorded the highest number of deaths with 515, followed by Zamfara with 408, while Plateau accounted for 170, Katsina 155, Benue, 101, Niger, 68, Anambra, 63, Edo, 60 Ondo, 59 and Kaduna, 58.

While the report stated that 136 security personnel were killed during the same period, a further breakdown showed that 892 civilians lost their lives, along with 462 bandits, 119 vigilantes, 234 Boko Haram members, 42 kidnappers, and 66 cultists.

“In terms of geopolitical zone distribution, the North West recorded 706 deaths, the North East 552, the North Central 273, the South East 185, the South West 163, and the South-South 121,” it said.

However, Musa’s renewed vow is not lost on Nigerians as this is not the first time he would make such promises which many have come to see as empty promises and rhetoric while the reality has remained that insecurity, terrorism and banditry have become a serious malaise in many parts of the country, especially in the northern region.

The Boko Haram sect and its splinter group, ISWAP, have, in recent weeks, launched series of deadly attacks, mostly targeting military formations and communities in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, resulting in death of soldiers and destruction of military equipment

Bandits have invaded and killed many citizens in Plateau, Benue, Katsina and Kaduna, new terror groups, Lakurawa and Mahmudah have wrecked havocs in Niger and Kwara states.

Nigerians recall that Musa had made similar vows during a press conference in Abuja on September 10, 2024, where he boasted that Nigeria’s most notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji and other terror kingpins would soon be eliminated while insecurity would be a thing of the past.

But as it stands, eight good months after he made the promise which have been followed with such similar boasts by the CDS, the tide of insecurity in the country has not reduced, instead, they seem to be increasing at an alarming rate. A situation which has led many to wonder if the Chief of Defence Staff really has what it takes to end banditry in the country.

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