Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, shared insights into the challenges faced by troops combating terrorism in the Northeast.
During his tenure as the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), General Musa disclosed a recurring pattern where villagers strategically concealed weapons after terrorists were neutralised.
Speaking on Trust TV‘s “30 Minutes,” General Musa recounted instances where terrorists would approach villages armed, intending to launch attacks on the villagers.
However, upon the arrival of the military, the villagers swiftly hid the weapons, only to retrieve them later and launch surprise attacks from the rear.
Addressing the broader issue of insecurity, General Musa emphasized the need for a collective effort in reinforcing the country’s value system.
He urged religious leaders and traditional rulers to play a pivotal role in restoring family values and moral principles within communities.
Musa stated, “When I was a theater commander in the North East—Harden-Kai—for 19 months – sometimes terrorists would come to a village with weapons to launch an attack, and we would kill them, but before we would get there, all the weapons would have been hidden.
“And they would dig them out and attack us from the rear,” he added.
To tackle insecurity, he urged religious leaders and traditional rulers to revisit the country’s value system.
“These are things that were alien to us. Unfortunately, we are losing family values. You would find out that even within a family, a brother will kidnap his younger sister and tell their parents to pay.
“It is that bad because the society has been monetised. Everybody thinks that when he gets money his issues are solved. Those are the things we need to address.”
Expressing concern over the deterioration of family values, General Musa highlighted, “Family values have gone down; that’s why I appeal to religious leaders and traditional rulers to revisit our value system. We must put emphasis on bringing God, faith and sincerity in our lives. Somebody mentioned that Nigerians are religious but not godly.”