By Ayo Kehinde
Gen Musa
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has ruled out the use of mercenaries to counter insurgents in Nigeria stating that the funds for military contractors would be better used to strengthen and equip the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The CDS remarks were in response to calls by Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, who advocated for the employment of mercenaries to fight terrorists and bandits in the north.
Ndume had said, “Boko Haram reached its peak in 2014, during the last days of former president Jonathan, some body advised him to engage Private Military Consultant PMC and they did and entered agreement with PMC from South Africa and flushed Boko Haram.
The PMC collaborated with the Nigerian Armed Forces, recruited youths Civilian JTF because they know the bad guys and that was when you heard that Boko Haram ran from Maiduguri.”
Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show, General Musa emphasized that relying on military contractors has not produced lasting solutions in countries like Mali and Afghanistan, where contractors were engaged for years without successfully resolving conflicts.
He pointed out the complex nature of asymmetric warfare, where non-state actors, aided by informants, are highly mobile and difficult to track.
Musa acknowledged Senator Ndume’s suggestion as part of democratic freedom but reiterated that strengthening Nigeria’s military through international joint training is the more sustainable approach.
“We are doing a lot of joint training with Europeans and Americans to build capacity in order to project this war”, he said.
He also highlighted Nigeria’s progress in the fight against terrorism, noting, “We have done more than that, and it’s still counting. Military contractors are not the solution because of the money you are going to give them, why not use it to equip your own military? That would be a better option.”
Musa called on Nigerians to continue supporting the Armed Forces, emphasising that while challenges remain, the military is making strides toward overcoming them.
