Deny Banditry, Terrorism Safe Havens, Musa Urges Nigerians

Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa, has appealed to Nigerians to deny bandits, kidnappers and terrorists any form of safe haven, stressing that public cooperation remains critical to ending insecurity in the country.

He warned that such groups thrive when communities provide them with shelter, food, or silence—either knowingly or unknowingly.

Speaking at the seventh Our Nigeria News Awards in Abuja yesterday, Musa urged the citizens to promptly report suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities.

He said, “This is a modern kind of warfare. Asymmetric warfare is not easy; it is not like conventional warfare, where you are fighting another country. In asymmetric warfare, the enemy is within, and that is why it is the most dangerous.

“You cannot see it on a person’s face; it could be someone you think is your friend. You turn your back, and he shoots you from behind. That is why it is important that people do not give criminals any safe haven. If you see anyone committing a crime—whether a bandit, kidnapper, terrorist, or insurgent—please report it as quickly as possible, and action will be taken,” Gen. Musa said

The minister thanked Nigerians for their support and perseverance, appealing to them not to get tired or give up on the country.

He said the federal government, under President Bola Tinubu, was doing everything possible to restore peace, including strengthening international partnerships.

Similarly, the publisher of Our Nigeria News Magazine, Abubakar Sani, said the awards were established to recognise integrity, credibility and outstanding contributions to national development.

Sani noted that the awards’ credibility was reflected in the presence of awardees and dignitaries who travelled from countries such as South Africa and Liberia to attend the event.

According to him, the awards are not given with any financial conditions attached and are intended to encourage recipients to do more in their respective fields.

He added that the organisers hope to expand the awards in the future, possibly including cash donations to increase their impact.

The event featured the recognition of individuals across different sectors for their contributions to society.

The Our Nigeria Awards is an annual flagship initiative of the magazine, established to honour Nigerians whose exceptional leadership, service, and dedication to national development have made measurable impacts across key sectors of the nation.

Meanwhile, the Emir of Doma Kingdom, Nasarawa State, Alhaji Ahmadu Aliyu, said Nigeria is among the nations with some of the best intellectuals in the world, whether in commerce, science and technology, medicine, or other areas of human endeavour.

He said, “If you go to any part of the world and you do not see a Nigerian, please leave that place. God has endowed us, as a people and a nation, with excellence in human capacity and abundant natural resources. It is up to us to translate these gifts into achievements that the whole world will admire.

“But each of us must ask in our conscience whether we have given this country the best it deserves. If Nigeria is the only country God has blessed us with, and we are responsible for the future of generations unborn, then what do we owe our fatherland?’ He asked.