A blunt directive from Nigeria’s Defence Minister overshadowed even the ₦27.6 billion in new security hardware unveiled in Sokoto on Wednesday. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.) told troops engaged in counter-terrorism and anti-banditry operations that hesitation in the field would no longer be tolerated, whatever the excuse. “Once you are deployed, do not wait for any order from anybody to shoot any bandit or any terrorist. 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. This is a general order,” he said.
The setting for that warning was the unveiling of a substantial new arsenal for Sokoto State’s security operations, armoured personnel carriers, tactical vehicles and 300 motorcycles, commissioned at Giginya Memorial Stadium before senior military officers, security chiefs, traditional rulers and residents. Governor Ahmed Aliyu called it one of the largest security investments the state has made, intended to sharpen the operational capacity of security agencies against banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and other violent crime, particularly in border communities and rural areas that have borne the brunt of insecurity.
Aliyu framed the spending as inseparable from everything else the state hopes to achieve. Without security, he argued, there is no foundation for economic growth, agriculture or social progress, since none of it can take root while fear and instability persist. He said the new vehicles and motorcycles would translate directly into faster response times, better intelligence gathering, improved surveillance and greater troop mobility across terrain that has often limited how quickly security forces can act. He thanked President Bola Tinubu, the Armed Forces and other security agencies for their continued support, pledging the state would keep investing in ways that complement, rather than duplicate, federal efforts. In a gesture that went beyond words, Aliyu also inaugurated a major road in Sokoto metropolis in Musa’s honour, naming it General Christopher Musa Road.
Musa, in turn, praised the state government’s prioritisation of security as a sign of visionary leadership, but was careful to frame the fight against insecurity as bigger than any single tier of government. He argued it demands close collaboration between federal, state and local authorities, alongside genuine buy-in from ordinary citizens. The newly commissioned assets, he said, would sharpen operational effectiveness and lift morale for troops across Sokoto and the wider North-West, while residents’ continued willingness to share credible intelligence remains just as vital to catching emerging threats early. He closed by reassuring Nigerians that the Armed Forces remain committed to eliminating criminal elements and restoring lasting peace nationwide.
The event ended with an inspection and formal handover of the equipment to relevant security agencies, with those present describing the intervention as a meaningful boost to Sokoto’s security architecture and to the broader national fight against insecurity.
