Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has revealed alarming details about the state of mind and tactics used by terrorists fighting against Nigerian forces, stressing the grave danger they pose to national security.
In a recent interview with Symfoni TV, General Musa made a striking statement: “They have nothing to lose; sometimes when we shoot them, they keep coming because they’re on drugs.”
The CDS explained that many insurgents, particularly in the Northeast and Sahel regions, are heavily drugged during combat operations, which numbs their fear and pain, allowing them to fight recklessly even when injured or under fire.
“We’re dealing with enemies who are not in their right frame of mind,” Musa said. “They’re brainwashed, high on narcotics, and driven by extremist ideologies. When you’re facing people like that, conventional logic doesn’t apply. Even when wounded, some of them charge forward without fear.”
He emphasized that this unpredictable and dangerous behavior makes counterterrorism operations even more complex and requires a combination of firepower, intelligence, and psychological warfare to overcome.
General Musa also pointed out that many of these fighters are victims themselves—young people lured into terrorism through manipulation, poverty, and drug abuse. He said efforts are ongoing through de-radicalization programs and safe corridors to rehabilitate those who surrender, but noted that Nigeria must do more to prevent young people from being recruited in the first place.
“Good governance, job creation, education, and community engagement are just as important as military action,” he noted. “If people feel included and protected by the state, they won’t be easily used as weapons against it.”
His comments serve as a stark reminder that Nigeria’s security challenges are not just about armed combat, but about confronting the deeper social, psychological, and economic factors that fuel terrorism.
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