Terrorism: We Won’t Wage War Against Sahelian Countries – CDS

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has stated that the Armed Forces of Nigeria will not wage war against any country in the Sahel despite their withdrawal from ECOWAS and heightened political tensions.

He said that although attempts have been made to portray them as enemies, “we are not enemies.”

General Musa made this statement on Thursday when he received a delegation of the Sahelian Think Tank (Alliance De Sahel) from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger in Abuja.

The delegation, led by Hon. Aliyu Gebi, was in Nigeria to learn from Nigeria’s approach to tackling the menace of terrorism and the success of Operation Safe Corridor.

He mentioned that, contrary to popular belief, the militaries of the region were working together and declared his intention to visit the military leaders of Mali and Burkina Faso.

Musa emphasised the importance of Nigeria and the Sahelian countries working together to combat terrorism, noting that whatever happens in the Sahel affects Nigeria, and vice versa.

“This meeting came at the perfect time, now that so many things are happening in Africa, but it shows the unity of purpose. Their presence here from the Sahelian countries shows that we’re still united despite the challenges.

“And for all Africans, we must unite. We’re dealing with enemies that don’t mean well for us, especially in the Sahelian region. They have no respect for life, no respect for humanity, and no respect for boundaries. And we must work together to fight and defeat them.

“And I’m happy that we have our brothers from Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and other countries here to see what we’re doing with our disarmament programme, with Operation Safe Corridor. And I’m glad they’re engaging with it, discussing it in detail. We understand and believe that things will only get better for us as Africans,” he said.

He reiterated that both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches must be used in tandem, adding that the kinetic approach accounts for only 30 per cent of the solution.

“The non-kinetic approach is fundamental. We must have good governance, fairness, justice, and equity within our countries. With that, our citizens will feel safe, wanted, and have a sense of belonging. Only then can we work together to ensure we defeat all forms of criminality within our region.”

CDS Musa disclosed that he visited Niger Republic last year and was well received, a gesture he intends to reciprocate. “Now, we want to extend the same to Burkina Faso and Mali, all to show unity and that we need each other for success,” he said.

He reiterated that citizens of the region share a common culture: “We are one and the same. It’s only during the division of the country that boundaries were set, but if you look at our attitude, culture, and behaviour, we are the same.”

“Over time, Nigeria has become one peaceful country, and we mean well for our neighbours. Even attempts have been made to make it look like we are enemies. We will never be enemies. This is a clear example to show people that sitting down here shows we are brothers and sisters.

He continued, “Our brothers from Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, we are one family. Don’t allow anyone to tell you otherwise. Since independence, Nigeria has been a country where we play our part to assist if there is any problem in any African country. When there were issues in South Africa, we brought them to stay here until peace returned; Charles Taylor was in Nigeria when there was a crisis in Liberia. As we speak, the former president of Sierra Leone is in Nigeria. It has always been a peaceful country, and we want to remain like that. We are one people and one family. I visited Niger last year, and I was warmly received. I am looking forward to visiting Mali and Burkina Faso too. We need to stay united.”

He advised the Sahelian countries to block terrorists’ access to mining sites and trace their foreign sponsors.

“Lastly, the issue of illegal mining. This is where they are getting a lot of funds from. We must stop them from having access to funds. Working with international organisations and stopping foreign partners who want to support them.”

The team lead, Hon. Aliyu Gebi, reiterated that the region is safer and stronger when working together. He mentioned that what happens in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso resonates in Nigeria.

He commended the Nigerian military for its success in combating insurgents but stressed the need to harmonise strategies to achieve peace. He said the team was in Nigeria to study how to integrate kinetic and non-kinetic operations to win peace.

 

Nigeria to Partner Sahel Nations to Tackle Terrorism

The National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA), has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the Alliance of Sahel States to effectively tackle terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel.

NCTC national coordinator, Maj-Gen. Adamu Laka, stated this on Thursday during a study visit of the delegation from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to the centre in Abuja.

Laka said the study tour would enhance their knowledge and understanding, promoting teamwork and social skills in counterterrorism efforts in the region.

“As you know, cooperation in counterterrorism efforts is essential as it allows countries to share information, resources, and expertise.

“It is also well known that the challenges we face in countering terrorism are multifaceted and complex, requiring innovative approaches and steadfast determination.

“By coming together in this spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation, we strengthen our resolve and enhance our capabilities to effectively counter terrorism,” he said.

Laka stated that Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and the Benin Republic had demonstrated such cooperation, both kinetic and non-kinetic, by agreeing to synergise their military efforts under the framework of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.

He highlighted the establishment of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which had dislodged Boko Haram from its former strongholds and successfully degraded its capacity to wage large-scale insurgency in the region.

The coordinator also disclosed that the ONSA had adopted a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to provide the necessary strategic coordination.

According to him, Nigeria’s firm stance on counterterrorism and serious organised crime measures has evolved over the years, focusing on legal and policy frameworks as well as strategies.

In his remarks, the coordinator of the Fusion Centre for Dialogue and Peace Processes, Aliyu Gebi, said that while kinetic efforts may win the war against terrorism, peace has not yet been fully achieved.

He mentioned that peace could only be attained through the use of non-kinetic strategies, adding that there is a need to harmonise efforts in countering violent extremism in the region.

“If we come together, this enemy can be defeated, and this enemy has been defeated, but we have not been able to consolidate because we did not have a centre like this one, a centre of excellence that is now regional,” he said.

Believe only military reports – DHQ

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters has stated that military reports give a more accurate picture of counterterrorism efforts in the country than those from outsiders.

The director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. General Markus Kangye, stated this on Thursday while fielding questions about the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, which was released on 5 March.

 

Kangye, using a family illustration, said the information released by the head of the family, which is the Defence Headquarters, is usually more accurate than that of an outsider referring to IEP.

 

He said, “Something is happening in my house. I’m the head of the house. I have children, I have a wife, and Kuma Shi (someone else) is reporting what is happening in my house to me. Which one would be more accurate? The one that I will tell you as the head of the house, or the one that Kuma Shi is reporting from outside? The one I think will give you the correct information is that of the head of the house.

 

“As a member of the media that attends this meeting every week, you should be able to stand and correct what they are giving Nigerians.”

 

Speaking further, Kangye said he wasn’t disputing the report but urged the media to provide the correct version of what was happening in the country.

 

He said, “I’m not countering what they put out there, but as observers, I think you should be the better person to give the correct version of what is happening in Nigeria.”

On the sit-at-home order in the South East, Kangye said that residents, out of fear, still stay indoors on Mondays. He said the military was working to free the region from IPOB/ESN fighters.

The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), ranks Nigeria 6th on the list, while Burkina Faso comes first.

Nigeria dropped two places from its eighth position in 2023 and 2024, indicating that more needs to be done to address the issue.

Pakistan ranked second, Syria 3rd, and Mali and Niger came 4th and 5th, respectively.

The GTI 2025 states that the withdrawal of Burkina, Mali, and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) allowed terrorist groups such as Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) to expand their activities in the coastal states.

The report said terrorism in the Sahel increased significantly, with deaths rising nearly tenfold since 2019.

According to the report, in 2024, the Sahel region accounted for 51 per cent of all terrorism deaths, while overall conflict deaths in the region exceeded 25,000 for the first time since the inception of the Index.

According to the report, 1,532 people were killed and 206 injured in 111 incidents in Burkina Faso in 2024, while Nigeria recorded 567 terror-related deaths and 177 injuries in 99 incidents in the same year.

Also, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) revealed that troops on internal operations killed 92 terrorists, including a terrorist commander Abba Alai (Amirul Khalid of Alafa), arrested 111, and rescued 75 hostages in one week.

The director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, gave the figures on Thursday during the biweekly update on military operations between 27 February and 6 March 2025.

He said troops arrested 18 suspected oil thieves and recovered stolen products worth N521,802,360.00.

He said troops in the fight against oil theft recovered 452,396 litres of stolen crude oil, 224,175 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, and 1,920 litres of PMS.

Furthermore, troops discovered and destroyed 87 crude oil cooking ovens, 28 dugout pits, 23 boats, 33 storage tanks, 61 drums, and 47 illegal refining sites.

Other items recovered include two pumping machines, three tricycles, five motorcycles, two mobile phones, and six vehicles.

Overall, he said troops recovered 117 and 2,939 assorted weapons and ammunition within the week, respectively.

He gave a breakdown of recovered weapons to include 58 AK47 rifles, 21 locally fabricated guns, 26 Dane guns, seven pump-action guns, four PKT guns, two GPMGs, one QJC W85 gun, one HK 21 gun, one M60 MG, 11 RPG bombs, 2 RPG tubes, and one fabricated 60mm mortar.

They also recovered a quantity of 2,278 rounds of assorted 7.62mm ammunition, 26 live cartridges, 64 rounds of 9mm ammo, 18 magazines, as well as eight other assorted arms.