According to the Defence Minister, bandits and terrorists do not understand genuine negotiation and only use dialogue as a deceptive tactic to regroup and launch fresh attacks.
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has disclosed that the Federal Government has repeatedly warned state and local governments against negotiating or making deals with terrorists and bandits, insisting that such engagements undermine national security efforts and only embolden criminal groups.
Musa made this known during an interview with BBC Hausa, where he expressed strong opposition to dialogue, negotiations, or ransom payments to criminal elements operating across the country.
According to the Defence Minister, bandits and terrorists do not understand genuine negotiation and only use dialogue as a deceptive tactic to regroup and launch fresh attacks.
“These people do not understand negotiation. Negotiation is deception,” Musa said. “When they come to negotiate, they want something, and if you agree, they will turn around and attack you again. What happened in places like Katsina is an example; we told them not to negotiate with these people.”
He stressed that criminal groups never honour agreements reached during negotiations, describing them as habitual liars who exploit talks to buy time.
“They never keep their word; they lie. We are appealing to the public and to any government engaging in such negotiations to stop. There is no truth in it. They will only buy time and then return. Those you negotiate with do not keep promises at all; they do not fear God,” he added.
Responding to concerns that some state and local governments are still pursuing dialogue with bandits despite federal opposition, Musa said such actions directly undermine the work of the military and security agencies.
“We have sent messages and held discussions, clearly stating that this undermines our work,” he said. “If this continues, everyone will start claiming they are negotiating and should not be touched, while they continue killing people. That will create chaos.”
The Defence Minister noted that the Federal Government has formally communicated with states and communities involved in such negotiations, urging them to discontinue the practice.
“We have communicated with all those states and communities involved and told them to stop. You know this is a democracy; the military cannot simply issue orders saying, ‘Do this or don’t do that.’ But we are engaging them,” he explained.
When asked whether this situation suggests that states are stronger than the federal authorities, Musa dismissed the suggestion.
“No, no. We have spoken to them, and they will stop. I am confident they will stop,” he said.
On the issue of ransom payments for kidnapped victims, the Defence Minister described the practice as completely wrong and dangerous.
“Ransom payment is completely wrong. If it becomes normal practice, the problem will only worsen, because everyone will join in, looking for money,” Musa said. “If people believe that kidnappings automatically lead to ransom payments, it will not end well.”
He urged citizens to report kidnapping incidents to security agencies instead of paying ransom.
“That is why we say no one should pay ransom. If there is a kidnapping, it should be reported, and action will be taken,” he stated.
Addressing allegations that ransom payments are sometimes made at the federal level to secure the release of abducted persons, Musa denied such claims.
“As far as the federal government is concerned, we do not pay ransom. Some individuals may do so on their own, but the federal government, from what we know, does not pay ransom at all,” he said.
He also responded to speculations surrounding the abduction of children in Niger State, where reports suggested that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, held talks with the kidnappers and possibly paid ransom.
“That is speculation, just speculation,” Musa said. “Whenever children are abducted or such incidents occur, the military tracks their location.”
He explained that the urgency observed by the public during such incidents is due to active military operations aimed at locating and rescuing victims.
“The urgency people see is because we are actively trying to locate them, and most times we recover the children without paying anything. The criminals flee and abandon them, and once the opportunity arises, we rescue them. No ransom is paid,” he added.
On whether bandits are stronger than Nigeria’s security forces, given their continued operations in several parts of the country, Musa said the challenge is largely due to Nigeria’s vast size and uneven security presence.
“Nigeria is a very large country. What they do is move away from areas where troops are present and operate where there is little or no security presence,” he said.
He urged citizens to support security agencies by promptly reporting suspicious movements and criminal activities.
“That is why we tell people: if you see something, report it so action can be taken,” he said.
Musa also called on state governments to address the root causes of insecurity by investing in social and economic development.
“We also appeal to state governments to help by creating jobs, building schools, ensuring children go to school, providing hospitals and basic services. All of this helps prevent terrorists from recruiting people to work for them,” he said.
According to him, poverty and hunger continue to fuel recruitment into criminal groups.
“When there is hunger and poverty, more people are drawn to them. That is why you see that even though many are killed, more keep emerging. What we must do is for everyone to play their part so we can overcome this problem,” Musa added.
Reacting to accusations that some government officials or institutions collaborate with criminals, the Defence Minister dismissed such claims as unpatriotic.
“They do not love the country. They know within themselves that they are lying,” he said. “The armed forces are committed and have shown determination to continue working to bring peace, and all of us are united in this effort.”
Describing Nigeria’s current security situation as difficult, Musa reassured citizens of the government’s resolve to restore peace.
“Nigeria is going through a very difficult time,” he said.
When asked what promise he would make to Nigerians as Minister of Defence, Musa expressed confidence in eventual success.
“I want Nigerians to understand that God is with us and we will succeed,” he said. “We appeal to everyone to stop associating with these criminals. Wherever they are seen, report them, and we will take action. Together, we will achieve peace.”
On whether Nigeria has enough security personnel to eliminate insecurity, Musa said no country has sufficient manpower to address such challenges solely through numbers.
“No country has enough security personnel, no country at all,” he said. “But what helps greatly is technology.”
He added that cooperation between citizens and security agencies is critical to ending insecurity.
“When people cooperate and understand that they too have a responsibility to do what is right, and they support security agencies, then together we will succeed,” Musa said.