Nigeria’s newly appointed Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has directed military personnel to immediately engage armed bandits and insurgents on sight without waiting for further authorisation.
Musa gave the charge during his Senate screening on Wednesday, stressing that swift engagement is essential for frontline protection and for rebuilding public confidence in Nigeria’s security operations.
The directive came as lawmakers raised concerns about reported delays in command decisions during clashes with insurgents.
Responding, Musa said any soldier deployed to a conflict zone automatically has the mandate to neutralise armed criminals who pose an imminent threat.
According to him, troops must rely on their training, instincts, and clear rules of engagement to protect themselves, their colleagues, and the communities they are assigned to defend.
He said, “Every deployed personnel knows their mission.
“You are to engage any armed criminal or bandit who is about to attack. You don’t have to wait for an order.
“If someone is aiming to shoot at you, who are you waiting for permission from? Once deployed, you already have that responsibility.”
Musa added that no soldier facing imminent danger can legitimately claim to be waiting for instructions.
He continued, “If your colleague is about to be shot and the only way to stop it is to eliminate the attacker, you don’t hesitate.
“You must secure the community or facility you are protecting — and every soldier knows this.
“So any deployed personnel who says he is waiting for an order is lying or acting out of cowardice.”
The minister further stated that troops are fully briefed before deployment and that the standing order in conflict zones is clear and immediate.
Beyond engagement rules, Musa announced a plan to withdraw soldiers from routine checkpoints nationwide.
He explained that the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps would take over those duties, freeing up military forces for intensive operations in forests and remote areas where armed groups operate.
“What we want to do is pull military personnel away from checkpoints and let the police and civil defence handle those roles,” he said.
“This will enable our troops to move into the bushes and take out these criminals wherever they are.”
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