The Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Musa (retd.), on Thursday revealed that terrorists are using motorcycles handed over to Nigerians as palliatives to wreck havoc across the country.
He, however, advised the state governors and lawmakers to stop giving motorcycles as palliatives, arguing that some of the motorcycles eventually end up in the hands of terrorists to facilitate and enhance their nefarious activities.
Musa, who gave the admonition when he appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today, disclosed efforts being made to curb terrorism and the operational challenges confronting the country’s security forces.
The retired military chief explained that motorcycles provided as palliatives could give terrorists the mobility to move quickly through difficult terrain and evade security forces.
“We try to appeal to even governors to stop giving motorcycles out as palliatives. Because these motorcycles are the same ones that still end up with these terrorists.
“Even if you have to give, don’t give them the big capacity motorcycles, give them the small capacity ones that they won’t be able to use to run around, because that gives them leverage. They can easily enter and then disappear…”
The minister also warned that motorcycles distributed through constituency projects and other palliative programmes by lawmakers could find their way back to bandits and terrorists.
“Those bikes… before you know it, it’s already get back to the bandits and that’s what they’re using. So we must stop that, we must be able to identify markets,” he said.
According to him, security agencies had identified illegal markets and motor parks as channels through which terrorists move arms and ammunition into areas where they operate.
“What we realize from experience is they establish illegal markets or illicit motor parks. They go to those motor parks, that’s where they move arms and ammunition into those areas,” he added.
The Defence Minister also called for greater involvement of local governments in tackling insecurity, saying their proximity to communities gives them an advantage in identifying criminals and preventing crime.
“So governors and local government… and I can tell you, we must allow our local governments to work. Failure of local government is what is aggravating what we’re dealing with, and if we want better solution, quick fix, our local governments must work.
“Because crime and development is local. If every local government chairman is dealing with criminals within his locality, it’s easier to manage them than leaving it to the state or to the federal.”
Musa said local government chairmen should hold regular security meetings and report developments in their areas.
“I told them they have a lot to do. Weekly, they’re supposed to be engaged in their security issues, be able to have their own meetings on weekly basis and be reporting, because they know the criminals. They know their hiders, they know these things.”
He further urged state and local authorities to strengthen monitoring of markets, motor parks and other locations through which drugs, weapons and ammunition could be moved.
“If we’re able to make sure that we man all the markets, all the motor parks, all these areas where drugs, weapons, ammunition will move, it will make it difficult for them. And once you’re able to apply that, they will fizzle out.”
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