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Minister of Defence Christopher Musa has called on Nigerians to be more vigilant and cooperative in the fight against insecurity, raising concerns about the movement of suspected bandits who leave forest hideouts to purchase large quantities of supplies from nearby communities.
Musa made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television, on Friday, 12 June, 2026, while discussing efforts to combat banditry and terrorism across the country. According to him, criminal groups often depend on support networks and access to essential supplies from surrounding communities to sustain their operations.
The Defence Minister said it was troubling that individuals suspected to be operating from forests could openly purchase large amounts of food and other provisions without attracting sufficient attention from residents or authorities.
“People come from the forest to buy N200 loaves of bread into the forest. Tomorrow they will come and buy crates of mineral into the forest, nobody is talking,” Musa said.
He argued that such activities should raise suspicion, particularly in areas where security agencies are actively pursuing armed groups. Musa stressed that community members have an important role to play in identifying and reporting unusual movements or transactions that may aid criminal elements.
According to him, security agencies alone cannot effectively tackle insecurity without the cooperation of citizens. He noted that intelligence gathered from local communities remains one of the most effective tools in tracking and disrupting the activities of bandits and other criminal groups.
Musa also emphasized the need for a collective national effort to address security challenges, urging Nigerians to view security as a shared responsibility rather than the sole duty of the military and other law enforcement agencies.
