The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, has accused unnamed individuals of deliberately sabotaging the government’s efforts to end insurgency and insecurity in Nigeria.
Speaking in Abuja on Saturday after receiving 58 rescued kidnap victims from National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Gen. Musa assured Nigerians that such individuals would be brought to justice.
The victims, including 35 males and 23 females, were rescued on November 14 by troops of the 1 Division of the Nigerian Army from the thick forests of Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State.
Among the victims were women, children, and the elderly, who were kidnapped from Gayam, Sabon Layi, and Kwaga villages in Katsina State’s Dan Musa Local Government Area.
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Gen. Musa expressed disbelief at the kidnappers’ motives, emphasizing the vulnerability of the victims. “Why would somebody kidnap these kinds of people? If you see them, they are barely surviving,” he said.
“There are individuals deliberately working to make it impossible for the government to succeed, but their sabotage will not prevail.”
The CDS vowed that the perpetrators would face the full weight of the law. “We are going after those perpetrators, and they will not be let free. For the innocent blood they have shed and the freedom they have restricted, they will face justice,” he assured.
He also noted that some individuals involved in such crimes were conscripted, urging Nigerians to support the government in its fight against insecurity.
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Speaking on the rescue operation, Gen. Musa revealed that no ransom was paid to secure the victims’ release.
“It’s a joint effort. We were able to achieve this through non-kinetic means. No penny was paid,” he stated. He called on Nigerians to unite in combating insecurity, emphasizing that success requires a collective, whole-of-society approach.
Maj. Gen. Adamu Laka, National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Center, disclosed that the victims were kidnapped by bandits under the command of a notorious leader known as JANBROS.
The victims were forced to trek hundreds of kilometers to their captivity in the forests of Birnin Gwari.
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Laka added that the government had provided necessary medical assistance and stabilization care for the victims, six of whom required hospital admission but have since recovered and been reunited with the group.
The Chief of Staff to the Kaduna State Governor, Sani Limankila, commended the security agencies for their efforts and appealed to Nigerians to collaborate with law enforcement to end kidnapping and other criminal activities.
The rescue of these victims highlights both the progress and challenges in Nigeria’s ongoing fight against insurgency and banditry, as the government intensifies efforts to restore peace and stability across affected states.
