By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) has warned citizens living in regions ravaged by security threats to desist from engaging in any form of trading or transaction with terrorists, bandits, and other non-state actors.
“I want to also call on those few ones who think they are making money by trading with those terrorists and bandits. Those terrorists and bandits have no respect for anybody. Once you think you are trading with them, they are going to come after you,” Gen. Christopher Musa warned on Wednesday after visiting patients at the Defence Headquarters Medical Centre, in celebration of Christmas, a day that coincided with his birthday.
Locals who trade with terror organisations are sabotaging the efforts of the military and other security agencies in fighting insecurity in the country, the CDS declared.
Residents have been accused of supplying food, water, and other consumables to terrorists and bandits, who also abduct people freely.
“If they don’t come after you, they will come after either your relations — your brother, your sister, your wife or your husband. So, please, nobody should trade with those guys,” Musa said in reference to jihadist Boko Haram and Lakurawa fighters that have killed hundreds of people and displaced millions of others in the northern region over a decade.
“If we do not encourage them, we do not trade with them, they will not survive. That is the important thing we are saying.”
Terror in the West African country was not nipped in the bud from the onset, the Defence Chief stated, a development he believes has now made the fight difficult.
“The mistakes that were made in the past when this thing (terrorism/banditry) started was that we did not nip it in the bud. We allowed it to get to where it is. But thank God everybody is putting hands together and we are very happy that Nigerians are warming up.
“We are getting a lot of support from Nigerians, a lot of prayers, and a lot of information on things that are happening everywhere. We must continue to do that,” he said.
He said, “I think since we started, till where we are today, there is a remarkable improvement in the security situation, and we are going to take that further. That is why I said next year is defining, which means that we will do everything possible to ensure that Nigeria is peaceful.
“We are going to put every effort to ensure that we continue to live in peace. It’s not automatic, but I know if we have the cooperation of Nigerians, that is possible because God is always with us. We are going to make sure that Nigeria is better for everyone.”
