Nigeria’s Defence Chief Proposes Fencing Borders To Curb Insecurity

Wednesday June 4, 2025|

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has advocated fencing borders to curtail movement of terrorists and curtail other trans­border crimes.

He said this when he deliv­ered a keynote address at the in­augural Voice of Nigeria (VON) security summit with the theme, ‘Renewed Hope Agenda: Citi­zens’ Engagement and National Security’, in Abuja, on Tuesday, June 3.

General Musa also called for good governance at the local level as a means of tackling the root cause of insecurity in the country.

The defence chief said Nige­ria needs a comprehensive data­base of its citizens and foreigners to enable it to track and arrest criminals within its territorial space.

He said: “I look at the aspect of good governance which is crit­ical for dividends of democracy and local government autonomy. These are aspects that will help secure our country.

“Do we have a comprehensive database as Nigerians? We need a census that will capture every Nigerian in the world, not only in Nigeria. If you go abroad and commit crime, you will be caught because there is a database to fall back on.

“Border management is very critical. We have had countries that because of the level of in­security in their country had to fence their borders. If you men­tioned this in Nigeria people will say this is impossible.

“Pakistan fenced 1,350 kilome­ters of border with Afghanistan that was the only time they had peace. Saudi Arabia and Iraq, 1,400 km border, are completely fenced.

“Can we start thinking of fencing our border, we have 1,500 with the Niger Republic, 1,900 ki­lometers with Cameroon. Chad is there, all over us we are surround­ed by francophone countries. The Sahel is heating up; if the Sahel falls it is Nigeria that they are in­terested in.”

The CDS reiterated the need for national unity and citizen col­laboration to overcome Nigeria’s security challenges, adding that the country remains resilient despite threats and negative nar­ratives.

“No one will come from out­side to liberate Nigeria. If the military fails, the nation fails, but Nigeria will not fail,” he said.

The defence chief empha­sised the role of the media in combating misinformation and disinformation, warning that the spread of falsehoods undermines national cohesion.

According to him, victory is only possible in the ongoing fight against insecurity through public cooperation.

He said: “We live in a time where people celebrate failure. Some don’t understand that when the economy collapses, everyone is affected; they have failed too.

“It is the silence of citizens that enables terrorists to thrive. Ask yourself, who is feeding them? Who supplies their ammu­nition? Do you want to become a refugee in your own country?

“This forum is timely, as it al­lows citizens to hear directly from their leaders and to counter the flood of misinformation. Some wish to see Nigeria disintegrate; we must never allow that.”

He urged Nigerians to support the military, especially those who have suffered permanent injuries or paid the ultimate price defend­ing the nation.

“Our soldiers are heroes. Many have lost limbs, lives, and loved ones. They have sacrificed so we can enjoy the democracy we have today. We must never forget them.”

The National Security Advis­er (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, said the country’s national se­curity architecture has been re­vamped through the use of data, technology and intelligence to tackle security challenges across the country.

Represented by the Director of Legal Services at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Zakari Mijinyawa, he said over 1, 200 kidnapped victims have been rescued in the last one year by security agencies.

He reaffirmed the govern­ment’s commitment to bolstering internal security and ensuring that perpetrators of violence face justice both within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.

Ribadu revealed over 1,000 illegal refineries have been dis­mantled by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) while land border surveillance has improved by over 60%.

He emphasised the role of the media in fostering unity, urging journalists to uphold national interest through responsible re­porting.

“Responsible journalism is a national duty,” he said, caution­ing against the spread of misin­formation and fake news.

Ribadu called on youths to take active leadership roles in shaping the nation’s future.