Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa has disclosed how the notorious Lakurawa terrorist group gained entry into parts of Northern Nigeria by initially being welcomed as friends and family members by local communities.
Speaking during a Symfoni TV media coverage from 3:17, General Musa warned against accommodating potential threats, drawing parallels between the Lakurawa situation and the early stages of the Boko Haram insurgency. “It is when we come together to uphold this country that this country will thrive, by not allowing the enemy to break into gaps between us,” the military chief stated during the television appearance.
The Chief of Defence Staff traced similar patterns in how Nigeria’s security challenges have evolved, specifically referencing the early protection given to Boko Haram. “Boko Haram started because we protected them; it started as a small group, and if it had been nipped in the bud, we probably wouldn’t have gotten to where we are today,” General Musa explained.
He revealed how the Lakurawa group followed a similar trajectory, initially gaining acceptance through community connections. “The Lakurawas came in, we brought them in, and we said they are our friends and our families, until they started attacking us. The message here is, when you grow a monster, it grows beyond you and wants to take more from you. So, we must learn to say no to monsters,” he stated.
The military leader emphasized the need for zero tolerance toward any group planning violence against Nigeria. “Any evil one that is planning any evil against this country must never ever be supported, because it is the silence of the majority that gives them that opportunity to grow to who they become,” he declared.
General Musa stressed the critical importance of community participation in combating terrorism, arguing that local support determines whether terrorist groups survive or fail. “The people must be part of the solution. I always want to remind the citizens that the terrorists survive within the communities,” he explained.
The Chief of Defence Staff outlined how community attitudes directly impact terrorist operations. “If we allow them, they will thrive. If we disallow them, they will never survive,” he stated.
Drawing from global conflicts, General Musa referenced historical examples of successful community resistance against hostile forces. “First and Second World War are very clear. When citizens stood up against the enemy, they didn’t give them food; they didn’t give them water,” he noted.
The Chief of Defence Staff also lamented over how certain Nigerians rejoice over military failures. He expressed bewilderment at people celebrating when there are failures, noting that only someone who doesn’t understand the situation would want to believe in or pray for their country to fail. He emphasized that if the country fails, its citizens have equally failed, and questioned which country people would have to stand with if their security forces, especially the armed forces, fail.
The Chief of Defence Staff stressed that Nigerians must first look at themselves as Nigerians, asserting that nobody will change Nigeria except Nigerians themselves. He warned against expecting liberation from outsiders, urging people to think twice about such expectations. He highlighted the importance of a renewed citizens’ agenda, explaining that citizens make up the country and are the ones who will uplift it to where they want it to be.
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