General Christopher Musa says talks only strengthen armed groups as the country faces a surge in kidnappings
Nigeria must not negotiate with armed criminal groups, the country’s new defense minister, General Christopher Musa, has said.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, Musa warned that negotiating and paying ransoms only embolden militants and expose communities to further attacks.
“Negotiating with criminals is unacceptable,” he said. “When people pay ransoms, it buys terrorists time to regroup, re-arm and plan new attacks. Communities that negotiated still got attacked later.”
The country has been hit by several major kidnappings in recent weeks. In November, gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, abducting more than 300 students and 12 teachers. The Christian Association of Nigeria announced in the same month that 50 students had escaped, while many others remain missing.
Musa added that efforts to tackle the problem will remain limited until the country establishes a unified national database linking security, identity, and banking systems. He said he would work closely with the Office of the National Security Adviser to stop any state from engaging in negotiations with armed groups.
In October, Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago also said his administration would not enter into talks with armed groups. “We will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom. The moment we start paying, they will open shop on our heads and keep kidnapping people.”
Earlier this week, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu nominated General Christopher Musa as defense minister, replacing Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned on Monday.
Nigeria has long struggled with widespread abductions carried out by criminal gangs and extremist groups, which frequently hold people for ransom. The issue gained global attention in 2014 when Boko Haram militants kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State.
Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency on November 26 after a rise in terrorist attacks and mass kidnappings – a crisis which forced him to cancel a planned visit to South Africa for the G20 Summit. The president ordered police to recruit 20,000 additional officers, raising the planned new hires to 50,000, and said more personnel will be deployed to regions affected by violence.
