Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.) , has defended the military’s current operational tactics, explaining that troops frequently rescue abducted victims without killing or arresting the terrorists because the captors flee when they detect security forces. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today , the minister addressed growing public concern regarding recent operations where hostages were freed without any lethal engagement or arrests of their captors. He emphasized that the primary objective of these missions remains the safe return of citizens, and the pressure applied by the military often achieves this without bloodshed.

The minister detailed a strategic containment approach, revealing that security forces work to identify hideouts, block escape routes, and cut off vital supplies like food, water, and fuel. According to Gen. Musa, these choking mechanisms combined with high-tech surveillance leave the criminals with no choice but to abandon their captives and flee into the bush to save their own lives. This calculated restraint ensures that hostage safety is prioritized over chaotic firestorms, providing a clearer picture of how the military is navigating the persistent challenge of kidnapping for ransom.

According to him, security forces could strategically surround terrorist locations and cut off the supplies needed for the criminals to survive in their hideouts.

He said terrorists often flee when they detect the presence of security forces, particularly when confronted with aerial surveillance or drones, leaving their victims behind.

“Sometimes, if you carry out manoeuvres. The funny thing is, the terrorists too don’t want to die. I hope you know that. All these they’re doing, carrying weapons, they don’t want to die.

“So once there’s anything, even if it’s a drone that comes, you see them scatter away and leave everybody. That’s what happens,” he said.

Musa said the military’s approach was to deny terrorists access to the supplies that enable them to remain in their hideouts.

“So what we normally do is once we’re able to identify where they are, we block avenues for them. Like I said, take out the oxygen, they will die,” he said.

He added that individuals who secretly supplied terrorists with fuel, water, and food were helping to sustain their operations.

“As long as people go to support to sneak in, give them fuel, give them water, give them food, give them all this, these are the things that are making them thrive. Once they don’t have that, they can’t survive,” he said.

The minister also said ransom payments could provide security agencies with opportunities to trace the financial activities of terrorists and their networks.

He said the Central Bank of Nigeria was working to track funds suspected to be linked to criminal activities.

“I’m happy that the CBN too is living up to expectation, trying to make sure that even if we were able to trace monies that are coming in from those other areas, we can track back where they are,” Musa said.

Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.) , has strongly appealed to state governors to reconsider distributing motorcycles as palliatives or empowerment gifts. Speaking on the potential security risks, the minister warned that these vehicles frequently find their way into the hands of terrorists and bandits. He emphasized that by distributing high-capacity motorcycles, government relief programmes may inadvertently be boosting the mobility of criminal networks, giving them the exact leverage they need to terrorize communities.

To mitigate this security threat, Gen. Musa urged governments that still feel compelled to include motorcycles in their empowerment packages to strictly distribute lower-capacity models . He explained that high-powered motorbikes allow insurgents to move swiftly across difficult terrains and easily evade security forces. By switching to smaller, less powerful alternatives, state authorities can ensure that the vehicles are practical for local economic empowerment but largely useless to armed groups trying to execute hit-and-run operations.

Beyond state palliatives, the defence minister raised alarms over motorcycles distributed through constituency projects , alleging that these initiatives also serve as a pipeline for bandit logistics. He stressed the urgent need for stricter oversight and thorough scrutiny of all items distributed under government relief programs. According to Gen. Musa, preventing the diversion of these essential assets to criminal groups is a critical step in cutting off the logistics that keep modern banditry and terrorism alive.