CDS Says Porous Borders Inviting Sahel Jihadists Into Nigeria

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, on Friday warned that jihadist factions expelled from the central Sahel are slipping across the country’s vast borders and stoking fresh violence in the north and Middle Belt.

He pledged tighter border security, fresh air assets and closer coordination with states to neutralise the threats.

“What has happened recently is that there’s a global push by terrorists and jihadists all over the Sahel area, and that pressure is what actually came into Nigeria because of the porous nature of our borders,” Musa said after he led Service Chiefs into closed door talks with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Since the gale of coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger between 2020 and 2023, attacks by Islamic State Sahel Province and al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin have jumped by more than 40 per cent, forcing hundreds of fighters south toward Nigeria, Benin and Togo, according to the Armed Conflict and Location Event Data for March 2025.

In its April 2025 monthly forecast, United Nations Security Council Report flagged a “widening arc of infiltration” along the Benin-Niger-Nigeria borderlands, while ACLED data show jihadist incidents creeping into Kaduna, Niger and Plateau states after dry-season offensives in the core of the Sahel.

After the meeting, Gen. Musa said the armed forces remain “on top of our game,” but conceded that Nigeria’s 4,000-kilometre land border “is what actually allowed the pressure to spill in.”

He explained, “Our meeting today is for us to review the entire security situation in the country. The president is concerned about what’s going on, and we have reassured him that we’re on top of our game. We’re working extremely hard.

“And so Mr. President has given directives for us to intensify our efforts, collaborate with all our sister countries around, because it is the porous nature that is actually aggravating our issues on ground. And so all our theatres have been enhanced.

“Equipment has been bought. Mr. President has also given us many approvals for air assets and other aspects of security. As we mentioned, it’s not only the kinetic effort. The non-kinetic aspect that is most important.”

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The Defence Chief said he is working with Governors to provide synergy for the military’s operations across states.

“The president is also looking at the aspect of also discussing with the governors for their own support, buy-in, ensuring that the dividends of democracy are also extended to the communities to be able to clamp down on the issue of insecurity.

“Yesterday, I just came out of Maiduguri to show you that we’re working together with all the governors because we know we cannot do it alone. We also need the governors to be part of it.

“The Federal Government is doing so much. States need to come in, local governments and communities. Everyone has a role to play in ensuring that there’s peace in Nigeria,” he added.

He urged citizens to report suspicious activity—and to ignore recycled combat videos circulating as “fake news.”

“It is important that we all cooperate with members of the armed forces and security agencies. If we see something going wrong anywhere in the country, let us report it; action will be taken, including by our own personnel. If we see them doing what is not supposed to be done, they should take report and we’ll take action.

“We want to appeal to all Nigerians not to get tired and be wary of fake news. A lot of fake news has been spread.

“Most of the videos being circulated are from other countries or old videos, giving the impression that they are new. You often wonder, why do some individuals feel happy when things go wrong in their country?” he added.

He thanked Nigerians for their support, saying, “And that’s what we try to push and that’s what we’re doing. And we’re happy that Nigerians are warming up to it, disregarding all the naysayers, those who don’t mean us well. We’re shaming them because we’re determined to continue succeeding. That we assure all Nigerians.”