Defence Minister, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has insisted that Nigeria’s security forces are not enemies of the state.
He therefore pleaded with Nigerians to support and cooperate with government efforts to tackle insecurity.
Musa was speaking as a guest on the June 12, 2026, edition of The Platform held in Lagos.
According to him, everyone in the country — including the security forces — suffers from violence and instability. He called for public backing of the military and other agencies as essential to improving security.
“The security forces are not the enemies of the state. In fact, what I always say is that we are all victims.
“As a commander, I had the privilege of being the commander in the theater Operation Hadin Kai for 19 months, and the worst thing that could ever happen to you is having to meet the families of those who have passed on, who were killed, to explain to them what happened to their children, to their wards, or to see those ones that have been amputated because the vehicles they were riding went through Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, which has taken their limbs.
“So, I want to appeal to Nigerians that as long as these individuals are sacrificing themselves, we have a country to protect. We must honour them, we must support them, we must give them everything that will keep them going, and together with the support of citizens, so much can be achieved, and I can assure you that,” he said.
Musa framed the fight against insecurity as a shared responsibility, saying cooperation between citizens and security institutions is critical to sustaining operations and protecting communities.
