‘Our Soldiers Are Exhausted, They Need Rest – Defence Minister, Musa

……Urges Police To Take Over Internal Security Operations

In a rare public admission, Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, has raised the alarm over the exhaustion of personnel of the Nigerian military.

He said that the soldiers were worn out and needed some rest from active combat duties.

This followed years of prolonged deployment in different parts of the country to tackle insecurity.

Musa said many soldiers had spent years away from their families, moving from one flash point to another without adequate opportunities to rest or enjoy holidays.

Speaking on the country’s security challenges, the Defence Minister admitted that military personnel were becoming exhausted from the demanding nature of their assignments.

“My men are tired, I can tell you for free,” he declared.

He explained that some soldiers could remain deployed in one location for as long as two years before being transferred to another operational theatre, particularly in the North-West and other conflict-prone areas.

“You will spend two years in one place. As you are moving, you are moving to the North-West, you’re moving to somewhere. Sometimes, you do a number of times, you don’t even see your family,” he said.

The former Chief of Defence Staff stressed that soldiers were not enjoying the prolonged deployments but remained committed to their responsibilities because of the urgent need to secure the country.

Musa, however, emphasised the need to strengthen the Nigeria Police Force through improved recruitment, training and operational capacity to enable it effectively handle internal security responsibilities.

According to him, the military was already working with the police to improve their capacity, expressing optimism that a stronger police force would eventually reduce the military’s involvement in routine internal security operations.

“We feel if they get these things right, there’s no need for the military,” he stated.

The Defence Minister maintained that the ultimate objective was to allow the military to gradually withdraw from internal security duties and return to the barracks, where personnel could recover from years of demanding operations.

“We hardly go on holidays,” Musa lamented, underscoring the personal sacrifices military personnel continue to make in the fight against insecurity.