Banditry: Don’t Wait For Orders – Gen. Musa Charges Soldiers

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, has charged soldiers and other security operatives deployed to combat the worsening insecurity in the country to eliminate bandits and terrorists on sight without waiting for superior orders.

The minister, who handed down the strict directive on Wednesday in Sokoto State, warned that any operative who hesitates to engage the criminals under the guise of waiting for official clearance would face severe consequences and be treated as a terrorist.

General Musa gave the charge during the official commissioning of 62 operational vehicles and advanced security equipment valued at N27.1 billion. The security assets were procured by the Sokoto State Government to bolster military operations and restore peace across the region.

Addressing the troops, the Defence Minister emphasized the need for decisive and ruthless frontline action against the criminal elements terrorising the state.

“Once you are deployed, do not wait for any order from anybody to shoot any bandit or any terrorist,” Musa instructed the soldiers. “I want to make that very loud and clear—anybody who refuses to shoot or kill any bandit or terrorist in the name of waiting for an order, we will treat you like a bandit.”

He further tasked the military personnel with the huge responsibility of maintaining the newly acquired operational vehicles and gadgets. Noting that the funds invested in the security hardware could have been deployed to other critical sectors of the economy, the minister announced that the military high command would conduct a strict evaluation in exactly one year to ascertain the condition and management of the equipment.