Boko Haram, ISWAP now too weak to carry out large-scale attacks – Defence minister

Minister of Defence General Christopher Musa (retd.) Sunday said the Armed Forces of Nigeria and partner intelligence agencies have broken the operational momenm of major terrorist networks like Boko Haram and ISWAP, shifting the conflict from a structured insurgency down to desperate and isolated criminal cells.

Special Assistant on Media to the Minister Leah Katung-Babatunde, in a statement, quoted the minister as saying this  in an interview to address issues surrounding territorial defence, counter-funding tracking, regional political safety, and major military welfare updates.

According to him, the military high command confirmed that aggressive, offensive operations directly into insurgent enclaves have successfully degraded the adversary’s capability to launch large-scale, brazen assaults on communities.

“We don’t have those brazen attacks that used to be. Before now, Boko Haram would go to places, attack areas, and go. You don’t hear of that anymore.

“The trajectory has moved from insurgency back downwards toward terrorism, abductions, and kidnapping because that is the easiest way for desperate networks to try and raise money,” he said.

The minister specifically highlighted that a recent uptick in security incidents aligns with a historical, consistent pattern observed right before major political cycles.

With political campaigns commencing for the upcoming elections in January, General Musa questioned whether recent spikes were intentionally weaponised by political actors to whip up negative sentiments against government performance.

He reassured the public that security forces were actively working to mitigate these spikes, confirming that nationwide political movements and campaigns will remain unhindered and fully secured.

Musa added that a major component of the military’s updated strategy relies on choking the logistical and financial lifelines sustaining asymmetric warfare.

He said: “Working in tandem with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), security forces have successfully tracked and intercepted illicit funding networks leveraging proxy accounts, social media crowdfunding, and cryptocurrency.

“Following a high-level summit with the United States State Department, Nigeria is now deploying advanced international counter-funding tools to isolate foreign influences like ISIS from local affiliates.”

General Musa warned local informants and logisticians, noting that individuals supplying fuel, food, and water to these cells were directly prolonging the war and its unintended consequences.

He said to monitor Nigeria’s vast, historically porous boundaries, including the volatile 1,500-kilometer border shared with Niger Republic, “the Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Immigration Service have activated specialised control hubs utilising real-time cameras and constant drone reconnaissance.”

The minister further stated that to back this technology with physical manpower, the military has expanded its footprint to 12 active divisions, adding four new divisions for localised monitoring.

“This expansion is supported by aggressive personnel recruitment across the Nigeria Police Force and Civil Defence, alongside the creation of a new Homeland Advisor role to centralise domestic intelligence,” he said.

…On the foiled plot

General Musa confirmed that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) were finalising a painstaking investigation into a foiled plot by misguided individuals seeking to disrupt the nation’s democracy out of nostalgia for past military regimes.

“In response to loopholes exposed by a colonel who misled younger officers into the plot, the military has institutionalised strict vetting protocols evaluating the background, mental capacity, and allegiance of all new recruits and personnel assigned to the presidency,” he said.

Addressing public skepticism regarding the survival of terror cells, the defence minister emphasised that the military was actively confronting the deep-seated ideological radicalisation driving asymmetric warfare.

He noted that increased military pressure was causing mass surrenders as low-level fighters realise they were deceived.

“On daily operations, tactical forces have successfully liberated over 700 abducted individuals from captivity.

“To sustain this high operational momentum, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed an upward review of salaries and pensions for active troops and military veterans,” he said.

…Military pension

General Musa, a military pensioner himself, addressed previous friction regarding veteran pension delays, confirming that presidential orders already e locked in the next harmonised disbursements for the end of September 2026.

Musa urged Nigerians to mimic the civic responsibility seen in developed nations by utilising existing security frameworks to report suspicious activities instantly.

“The Armed Forces are stable, inter-agency service rivalries have completely gone, and we are working assiduously as a unified unit to guarantee total tactical superiority,” Musa stated.

…Troops ‌‍‍‌‍⁠⁠‌‍‌⁠‍‍‍‍‌foilterrorists’ attack, recover arms in Sokoto

Meanwhile, troops of COAS Special Intervention Battalion 7 of Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have foiled terrorists attack and recovered high-calibre guns and motorcycles in Tangaza local government area of Sokoto state.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Nigerian Army, Lt.-Col. Olaniyi Osoba,  announced this in a statement Sunday in Sokoto.

According to him, during the operation which occurred on Saturday, troops advanced through identified terrorist threat enclaves, including Manu, Alkasim and Kandam villages, as well as the Magarya Forest axis.

Osoba said: “Upon making contact with the terrorists within the Magarya forest enclave, troops engaged the terrorist elements with superior firepower, forcing them to abandon their positions and flee into the deep forest.”

He said troops’ follow-up operations and a thorough search of the general area led to the recovery of significant arms, ammunition and mobility assets.

“The recovered items include one PKT Machine Gun, AK-47 Rifles, large quantity of 7.62 x 54mm belted ammunition, motorcycles and assorted logistical and miscellaneous items.”

According to Osoba, “troops maintain a strong operational posture and continue to dominate the general area to ensure the total security of surrounding communities.”