Fencing Nigeria/Niger Republic border will curb terrorist influx — Defence Chief 

                                         • Gen Musa

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has labeled the border with the Niger Republic as the most vulnerable and perilous, advocating for the immediate construction of a border fence to combat the rise of terrorism.

In an interview with Arise News on Thursday, Musa addressed the escalating security issues facing the nation. He emphasized that terrorist organizations like Boko Haram and ISWAP are taking advantage of the unprotected border to enter Nigeria.

“The reason is because, having gone through my analysis and looking at the Sahel, the main attraction to all these terrorists and bandits is Nigeria,” Musa said.

“Because this perception is, there were attacks from Burkina Faso… in Benin Republic, it’s just 50 kilometers to Nigeria. That is another area.”

He stressed that Nigeria’s unique position as an Anglophone nation surrounded by Francophone countries made its border policies and ideologies vulnerable.

“So for me, I think, and like I mentioned, all around us, we have Francophone countries. Our ideologies are not the same. For us to be secure, it is important, let us fence our borders,” he said.

Responding to concerns over the cost of constructing such a fence, the CDS insisted that security must be prioritised above all else.

“Some people say, look, it’s expensive. I say, what is money if you are dead? So countries that have sat down, I have analyzed and seen that, look, strategically it’s important, because once you fence that area, you use technology.

“Now you have cameras, you have drones. It reduces the manpower you need to engage in that area, and they could be used elsewhere. So that’s important,” he added.

He singled out the Niger border as the most critical point of concern.

“And the most critical one for us now even if we want to start let’s start with Nigeria and Niger [border]. That’s the most dangerous because… that’s where they’re coming in. The Boko Haram are coming in from the Sahel. The ISWAP guys are coming in all through those areas. So that’s why it’s critical.”

Musa also suggested a decentralised approach to implementing the border fence project.

“If we start from there and we can start state-wise at the same time, each state will start on its own, and before you know it, we’re there,” he said.

His comments come amid heightened insecurity across Nigeria. In the most recent attack, over 200 people were reportedly killed in Yelwata community, Benue State.

The assailants are believed to be foreign militants who may have entered through one of the country’s porous borders, CDS Musa had said in a briefing.