….Demands Special Courts For Terrorism Trials
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has linked recent killings and insecurity across Nigeria to political manoeuvres ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.
General Musa, who appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, said ongoing investigations reveal that both local and international financiers are fueling terrorism to destabilise the country.
“I can speak for this government, and because it has to do with a lot of legal issues and again, it has to do with international connections.
“Some of them have funds coming from outside, we cannot do anything from within,” he explained.
The CDS said financiers employ intermediaries who provide motorcycles to recruits and compel them to remit proceeds daily into designated accounts.
According to him, intelligence agencies need to be able to track the transactions to cut off the funding channels.
“They try to circulate these monies and that’s why we need to be able to track the funds,” he added.
Musa further disclosed that the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and other security agencies are pursuing politicians and groups financing insecurity.
“You know criminals work together. They synergise their efforts together, both the bandits and terrorists, because they, a common goal, they want to make money, they want to make sure communities are suffering for whatever reason.
“And again, some are part of politics, when there is peace, it shows the government is doing well and when there is no peace it shows the government is not doing well,” he said.
He said insecurity declined last year with fewer deaths recorded, and that sudden resurgence points to political interference.
“You realise that last year, we had the least number of deaths, then, how come suddenly everything has gone up? Because politics has come in, elections are coming in. You cannot rule out the fact that some individuals are making sure there is no peace.
“The funny thing is that how do you want to kill the people you want to govern? What do you gain from it?” Musa asked.
When pressed on whether political actors financing terrorism had been identified, he said investigations were still ongoing.
Musa further warned that terror financiers increasingly rely on gold to fund their operations, complicating tracking efforts due to international networks.
He said: “Gold. They try to circulate this money, and that is why we need to be able to track these things.”
Simon Ekpa’s Arrest and Southeast Stability
The CDS also addressed the case of pro-Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa, who was arrested in Finland in November 2024 on terrorism-related offences.
He said Ekpa remains under prosecution by Finnish authorities and that his arrest has improved security in the Southeast.
“He (Ekpa) is still undergoing prosecution in Finland. So, we are hopeful. When we talked about him, people thought we were making noise, but since he has been arrested, the Southeast is getting better,” Musa said.
He revealed that troops are conducting operations to track down Ekpa’s lieutenants across Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Abia states.
Call Self-Defence Training
In a separate development, General Musa urged Nigerians to acquire basic combat and self-defence skills, describing them as essential survival tools in today’s insecure environment.
“Learning combat skills should be taken just like learning how to drive or swim. Whether there is war or not, it is a survival instinct. In Europe, swimming is compulsory.
“Security awareness should also be compulsory because everyone must understand what security means,” he said.
He emphasised that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) should revive its original mandate by equipping graduates with survival skills, including unarmed combat, swimming, driving, and security awareness.
“That is what the NYSC was originally designed to do, but unfortunately, it has been reduced to just three weeks. We need to restore its purpose by teaching vital survival skills,” he explained.
Musa stressed that personal security and situational awareness are national priorities, urging citizens to report suspicious activities.
“Security is everybody’s business. Self-defence is very important because it prepares you for the unexpected. We cannot afford to take these things for granted,” he added.
The CDS commended the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for exposing financial links to terrorism but insisted that slow judicial processes hinder effective prosecution.
“The NFIU has been doing so much, apart from the intelligence set-up, the financial links are also being followed through and through and arrests have been made.
“I can assure you the Attorney-General of the Federation, the NSA (Nuhu Ribadu) are all working seriously to ensure that we address those issues,” he said.
He called for the establishment of special courts to fast-track terrorism trials and for stronger punishments against offenders.
“I can tell you that the DSS, the NIA, the NFIU and the DIA are all working assiduously to ensure… and again, it has to do with the legal system.
“We have to review our legal system because some of the punishments and prosecution take too long.
“Maybe if we have a special court that will treat (terrorism) cases as quickly as they are. I think we also need to review the punishment for offences,” he stated.
