General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, has emphasized the reasons why terrorism has not ended despite the huge budgetary allocation the military receives annually.
In Nigeria News todaySpeaking in an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday nightMusa stated that the military does not have enough equipment to fight terrorists because year after year not all the funds allocated to defence are released. He also noted that civilians conniving with terrorists and supporting them with supplies have been frustrating the military's efforts to end the war.
The General visited the Kaduna community where villagers were "mistakenly" bombed by the Army on Sunday night, resulting in 90 deaths and 60 injuries. He pointed out that there was a difference between what was budgeted and what was released, as the military does not manufacture any of the items they use. Musa appealed to all Nigerians to cooperate and take ownership of the situation.
He also called on opinion leaders not to play to the gallery by making untrue comments that could excite the terrorists and demoralize the troops. He also lamented that the proximity of civilians to the terrorists had slowed down the war against terror, as there have been times when air strikes were called off to avoid hurting civilians.
Musa explained that the way the villagers moved and converged were like the style of the terrorists, which misled the army to think they were terrorists. He reassured Nigerians that it is war and humans make mistakes, and that they will make amends and avoid a repeat.
Musa reiterated the unity in the armed forces and the chiefs, stating that they operate jointly and everybody has a role to play.