The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has explained that the vast size and difficult terrain of the Sambisa Forest are among the major challenges confronting security forces in their efforts to quickly rescue Nigerians abd¥cted by terr0rists.
Musa made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed the Federal Government’s efforts to combat terr0rism and k!dnapping across the country.
According to the minister, security agencies have continued to rescue abd¥cted Nigerians, but terrorists often flee into large forested areas before troops can locate them.
“Few ones now, efforts have been made. If you notice, on a daily basis now, we are really getting, rescuing a lot of them,” Musa said.
He explained that the size of the Sambisa Forest is often underestimated, noting that it is comparable to the size of Belgium.
“So this government is overwhelmed. Sambisa Forest is as big as Belgium, as a country. So when people talk about this, they make it look as if it is one small football field and we are refusing to do anything.”
The minister said the expansive and difficult-to-navigate terrain gives terr0rists an advantage after carrying out att@cks, particularly because abd¥ctors can disappear into the bush before security agencies receive information about an incident.
“These places are massive areas. The forest within Kwara comes in from Burkina Faso to Benin Republic into Nigeria and flows through all these things,” he said.
“So what they do is that once these abductions are done, before the information gets to anybody, these guys are already into the forest.”
Musa explained that troops sometimes have to cut off terr0rists from their regular routes and sources of supplies before they can successfully rescue victims.
He cited a recent operation in Kwara State, where security forces reportedly rescued abd¥cted victims after restricting the movement of their captors.
“And then the last one that was done in Kwara State, we had to quarantine where they were going, deny them oxygen, and that’s where we were able to get them,” Musa said.
According to the minister, increased military pressure can also force terr0rists to abaπdon their captives, creating an opportunity for security forces to rescue them.
Ransom payments and financial tracking
Musa also disclosed that authorities were monitoring financial transactions suspected to be connected to criminal activities.
He explained that ransom payments could potentially provide intelligence that would help security agencies track k!dnappers, adding that the Central Bank of Nigeria was involved in monitoring suspicious financial flows linked to criminal activities.
The Defence Minister also cautioned state governors against indiscriminately distributing motorcycles as palliatives, warning that some of the motorcycles could eventually fall into the hands of terrorists and increase their mobility.
Despite the challenges posed by Nigeria’s expansive forests and difficult terrain, Musa maintained that security agencies were making progress in the ongoing fight against terr0rism and k!dnapping.
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