The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has declared that the Nigerian military is more determined than ever to confront all terrorist elements in its ongoing quest to restore peace and stability across the country.
General Musa made the assertion on Wednesday in Abuja at the Defence Headquarters’ Psychological Operations Workshop themed: “Defence Headquarters Influence Operations: Optimising Psychological Operations for Efficiency in a Joint Environment.”
He emphasised the importance of non-kinetic strategies, particularly psychological operations, in complementing military offensives to influence perceptions, shape attitudes, and ultimately achieve mission success in various theatres of operation.
“The prevalent threats in Nigeria’s internal security landscape will not be tackled through kinetic operations alone, due largely to the continuous mutation in the nature and character of the threats,” Musa stated.
He noted that recent security challenges had tested the resilience of Nigerians and the capability of the military and security agencies to protect citizens.
“This situation therefore presumes that the threat has since gone beyond purely traditional military actions but requires a combination of robust and well-coordinated non-kinetic efforts by all stakeholders to support our kinetic actions,” the CDS said.
General Musa added that, despite sporadic attacks, the military continues to limit the operational space of insurgents and terrorists.
“With the recent changes in some of the commands in the theatres, we expect new strategies to further destroy the capacities of the terrorists to attack troops’ locations and isolated communities,” he said.
“We are more than ever determined to go after all the non-state actors to restore peace and stability in the country.”
Also speaking at the event, the Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Dr. Mohammed Bulama, urged the military and security agencies to intensify efforts to end the killings and restore peace nationwide.
Bulama acknowledged the enormity of Nigeria’s security challenges, saying the nation had “faced and still facing one of the greatest security challenges in its history” over the last decade.
“In as much as I am aware that such security threats are usually difficult to tackle, I have never doubted the capabilities of the Nigerian armed forces and all government security and intelligence agencies in eradicating these security challenges,” Bulama said.
He praised the military’s efforts despite resource limitations and called for actionable solutions that will assure Nigerians of the government’s resolve to protect lives and property.
“The federal government has so far demonstrated strong political will to end the menace of insecurity in the country,” he added.
Bulama also called on the armed forces to deploy advanced tools such as artificial intelligence and data analytics to counter radicalisation and misinformation, especially on social media, and to win the hearts and minds of citizens in conflict zones.
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