Defence Minister Declares Victory Over Terrorism, Says Attacks Have Dropped Significantly

Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, has declared that the country has achieved a major victory in its fight against terrorism and violent extremism, saying attacks by terrorist organisations are no longer as frequent or as brazen as they were in previous years.

Musa’s assessment comes amid continuing security challenges across different parts of Nigeria, particularly kidnapping and abduction, which have increasingly become a major concern for communities, travellers and families.

The Defence Minister said the security situation had improved considerably under the current administration, pointing to the reduced frequency of attacks associated with Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province and other extremist groups.

He explained that the nature of criminal activity confronting the country had changed as sustained military pressure made it increasingly difficult for terrorist organisations to operate openly and carry out large-scale attacks.

The shift, however, has not eliminated insecurity. Instead, criminal groups have increasingly turned to kidnapping and abduction as a means of raising money, making ransom-related crimes one of the major security problems confronting the country.

Musa maintained that the change in the pattern of attacks should be viewed as evidence that military operations have weakened terrorist networks and reduced their ability to conduct sustained insurgent activities.

He noted that terrorism and insurgency often develop from broader forms of criminality, with criminal groups gradually becoming more organised and dangerous. When security forces succeed in disrupting their operations, their activities can again decline into less sophisticated forms of crime.

The minister said Nigeria was currently witnessing more cases of abduction and kidnapping rather than the widespread terrorist attacks that previously affected communities, military formations and public institutions.

He pointed to the reduced visibility of Boko Haram and ISWAP attacks as an indication of the pressure being exerted on extremist groups.

The development represents a significant change from earlier years when terrorist attacks were frequently reported in parts of the North-East, particularly Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

Large-scale attacks, attacks on security installations and coordinated assaults by extremist groups had previously posed serious challenges to the Nigerian military and other security agencies.

The government has continued to deploy troops and conduct operations aimed at disrupting terrorist camps, recovering territory and rescuing people held by criminal and extremist groups.

Musa said troops were now pushing deeper into areas previously considered strongholds of terrorists and were recovering people who had been abducted.

The military’s strategy has increasingly involved intelligence-led operations, sustained pressure on criminal networks and efforts to prevent terrorists from maintaining permanent control over territory.

Despite the Defence Minister’s declaration of victory, kidnapping remains a major concern in several parts of Nigeria.

The continued abduction of civilians has created fear in communities and raised questions about the ability of criminal groups to exploit difficult terrain, weak local security structures and isolated roads.

Kidnapping has also affected travellers and residents in rural areas, with criminals frequently targeting people who can be held for ransom.

The Defence Minister linked the increasing reliance on kidnapping to the pressure placed on terrorist and criminal networks.

With large-scale terrorist operations becoming more difficult, kidnapping provides criminal groups with an alternative means of generating funds while requiring fewer resources than maintaining a conventional insurgency.

The changing security environment has therefore created a new challenge for authorities, who must now deal with a mixture of terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of organised criminality.

Musa also raised concerns about the unintended consequences of distributing motorcycles as political or community palliatives.

He warned that motorcycles provided to beneficiaries could eventually find their way into the hands of criminal groups and terrorists, giving them greater mobility in difficult terrain.

Motorcycles are particularly useful to armed groups operating in rural communities because they can move through narrow roads and remote paths that are difficult for conventional vehicles to access.

The Defence Minister urged political actors and other individuals involved in distributing motorcycles to communities to consider the security implications of the practice.

Where motorcycles must be provided, he suggested that smaller-capacity models should be considered instead of powerful motorcycles that could potentially be exploited by criminal groups.

The warning reflects wider concerns about how legitimate economic or humanitarian interventions can sometimes be diverted or misused by criminal organisations.

Motorcycles are widely used across rural Nigeria for transportation, commercial activities and movement between communities. However, their mobility also makes them attractive to armed groups seeking to move quickly between locations.

Security agencies have therefore continued to emphasise the importance of preventing criminal networks from gaining access to resources that could strengthen their operations.

Musa’s comments also come at a time when the Nigerian government is facing pressure to demonstrate measurable improvements in security.

The reduction of major terrorist attacks would represent an important development for communities that have experienced years of violence and displacement.

However, the continued prevalence of kidnapping means that many Nigerians still experience insecurity directly.

For affected families, the distinction between terrorism, banditry and kidnapping can matter less than the immediate threat posed by armed criminals.

The government’s challenge is therefore not only to weaken terrorist organisations but also to prevent displaced criminal networks from transforming into kidnapping syndicates or other organised criminal groups.

The military and other security agencies have continued to pursue operations against armed groups in different regions, while intelligence gathering and cooperation among security institutions remain important components of the broader strategy.

The changing nature of insecurity has also increased the importance of community intelligence.

Residents in remote areas often have valuable information about unfamiliar individuals, movements of armed groups and unusual activities. Strengthening communication between communities and security agencies can help authorities respond more quickly to emerging threats.

At the same time, the government faces the difficult task of balancing military operations with the protection of civilians and the restoration of normal economic activity in affected areas.

Improved security is expected to encourage greater movement, trade and investment in communities that previously experienced frequent attacks.

For farmers, traders and transport workers, safer roads and communities can make a significant difference to their livelihoods.

The impact of insecurity extends beyond physical attacks. Fear of kidnapping and terrorism can discourage people from travelling, attending businesses, sending children to school or investing in rural areas.

A sustained reduction in violence could therefore have wider economic and social benefits.

The Defence Minister’s declaration also signals confidence in the direction of Nigeria’s security campaign.

By describing the country as having defeated terrorism, Musa is presenting the reduction in large-scale extremist attacks as a significant achievement for the military and the government.

Nevertheless, the persistence of kidnapping means the security campaign is far from over.

The emergence of new criminal patterns can create fresh challenges even when established terrorist organisations have been weakened.

Authorities must therefore continue to monitor the activities of armed groups and prevent them from reorganising, recruiting new members or expanding into other forms of criminality.

The security situation is particularly complex because Nigeria’s armed groups do not always operate within clearly defined categories.

Some groups may engage in kidnapping, banditry, arms trafficking and other criminal activities, while extremist organisations can also use criminal networks to finance operations.

This overlap makes it difficult to address insecurity through military action alone.

Law enforcement, intelligence gathering, border security, financial investigations and community-based security initiatives remain important parts of the broader response.

The fight against terrorism also requires efforts to prevent vulnerable young people from being recruited into criminal or extremist organisations.

Economic hardship, unemployment, lack of opportunities and weak community structures can create conditions that criminal networks exploit.

Addressing those factors alongside military operations could help reduce the possibility of new groups emerging after existing networks are weakened.

The government’s ability to sustain security gains will therefore depend not only on military pressure but also on its capacity to strengthen institutions and improve conditions in vulnerable communities.

For now, the Defence Minister’s position is that Nigeria has made substantial progress against organised terrorism and violent extremism.

The reduced frequency of major attacks provides some evidence of a shift in the security environment, even though kidnapping and other forms of criminality continue to pose serious threats.

The next challenge will be ensuring that weakened terrorist organisations do not regroup while simultaneously dismantling the kidnapping networks that have become increasingly prominent.

If the current security gains are sustained, communities that have lived under the threat of terrorism and insurgency could gradually experience greater stability.

But the continuing spread of abductions means the country’s security agencies will remain under pressure to convert the reported gains against terrorism into broader improvements in the safety of ordinary Nigerians.

The government is expected to maintain military operations against remaining extremist and criminal networks while strengthening measures aimed at preventing terrorist groups from recovering their operational capacity.

For millions of Nigerians, the ultimate measure of victory will not simply be fewer reports of terrorist attacks but the ability to travel, work, farm, attend school and live in their communities without fear of being attacked or abducted.