THE Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), has urged state governors to stop giving motorcycles as palliatives, warning that the vehicles often end up in the hands of terrorists who use them for their nefarious activities.
News Point Nigeria reports that Musa made the call while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, where he also maintained that Nigeria has recorded improved security under President Bola Tinubu, with terrorist attacks becoming less frequent.
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Musa said motorcycles, particularly high-capacity ones, give terrorists an advantage because they can easily move through difficult terrain, enter communities and disappear before security forces can respond. He therefore urged governors to reconsider the practice of distributing motorcycles as palliatives.
“We try to appeal to any governor to stop giving out motorcycles as palliatives because these motorcycles are still the same ones that will end up with these terrorists. Even if you are to give, don’t give them the big capacity motorcycles, give them the small capacity ones that they won’t be able to use to run around because that gives them leverage. They can easily enter anywhere and then disappear at the same time,” he said.
The Defence Minister said the government should consider providing low-capacity motorcycles if it must distribute them as palliatives, noting that this would reduce the advantage terrorists could gain from them.
Musa also said motorcycles distributed through constituency projects and other palliative programmes could find their way back to bandits and terrorists, stressing the need for authorities to identify and monitor the markets through which such vehicles circulate.
He said security agencies had identified illegal markets and illicit motor parks as channels through which terrorists move arms and ammunition into areas where they operate, arguing that monitoring such locations would make it more difficult for the groups to sustain their operations.
The minister said there has been improved security in Nigeria, noting that attacks by Boko Haram and ISWAP are no longer as frequent as they used to be.
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“I can tell you there is improved security. Maybe if you noticed, you don’t hear so much of Boko Haram attacks, ISWAP attacks and all these things here and there, maybe one off.
“Now I say, the trajectory is this, from criminality to kidnapping to terrorism, insurgency; once you are able to hit them it goes back downwards and so we are now back into the stage of abductions and kidnappings because that is the easiest way for them to try and raise money.”
The former Chief of Defence Staff noted that troops are now moving into the terrorists’ enclaves and recovering many of the abducted individuals. He also stressed the need to allow local governments to function effectively, insisting that the failure of local governments is among the factors aggravating insecurity in the country.
On the 2027 general elections, Musa maintained that insecurity would not affect President Bola Tinubu’s campaign for a second term in office.
He also defended his inclusion in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign team in charge of security, insisting that it would not interfere with his duties as Defence Minister.
“I am a professional, I will never succumb to that level (being partisan against opposition), Nigeria is my unit, whatever it takes to protect Nigeria that is what we stand for.
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“We want a peaceful election, so we are going to work towards that and we are going to work with all the parties because that is why I am Minister of Defence, to ensure that every security force does what is right.
“So like I said, we are going to support INEC to ensure that the election is free, fair and credible because we want Nigeria to come out of all these election issues. We have gone past that.”
