Kill terrorists on sight or be treated as a bandit, Defence minister tells troops

Kill terrorists on sight or be treated as a bandit, Defence minister tells troops

Christopher Musa, minister of defence, has urged troops to kill bandits and terrorists without waiting for orders — or be treated as accessories to the crime.

Musa made the remarks on Wednesday in Sokoto, during the inauguration of 62 armoured vehicles and 320 motorcycles procured by the Sokoto state government, for deployment by various security agencies operating in the state.

The security assets are reported to be valued at about N27.7 billion.

“I want to reiterate this to all members of the armed forces and security forces. Once you are deployed, do not wait for any order from anybody to shoot any bandit or any terrorist,” Musa said.

“I want to make that very loud and clear. Anybody who refuses to shoot or kill any bandit or terrorist in the name of he is waiting for an order, we will treat you like a bandit.

“The federal government, the state government, the local government and indeed Nigerian taxpayers’ money is what is used to buy these equipment.

“And they are bought so that you can take down anybody who is trying to cause mayhem wherever he is. So it is your responsibility to ensure that you take him down, not to allow him take you down.”

He said those responsible for handling the equipment must ensure they are properly maintained, noting that it cost billions of naira and represent a significant investment.

He said equipment should not be neglected or mishandled, adding that officials would return after a year to assess them.

“We don’t want to hand them over and then you throw them away or you mishandle them and they become bad within a few months,” he said.

“They must serve the purpose they were procured for.”

He said the federal government “remains unwavering in its commitment” to securing every part of the country.

Minister for Defence, Christopher Musa