Assures on Tinubu’s campaign, military support for credible polls

Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), has said the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) are still investigating the alleged coup plot in the country.

Musa, who spoke yesterday on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’, assured Nigerians that the armed forces would provide adequate security for the 2027 general elections, adding that President Bola Tinubu’s campaign movements would not be hindered by security concerns.

He said the security agencies were taking their time to establish the facts of the alleged coup plot before making public statements on the matter.

According to him, the coup plot suspects had been arraigned before the courts of competent jurisdiction.

“The DSS is still investigating together with the NIA, and they don’t want to just say things they are not sure of. So they’re taking their time to get the details. They (alleged coup plotters) have been taken to court. It’s not with us.

“Again, when you start hearing why they wanted to do it, just know that they’re just a bunch of misguided individuals that went into it for just no reason,” he said.

On the country’s security situation, the minister said the intensity of terrorist attacks had reduced significantly compared with previous years.

Musa explained that groups such as Boko Haram were no longer able to carry out the kind of brazen attacks witnessed in the past, although they continued to seek isolated and vulnerable locations.

He said the country’s security environment was undergoing a fundamental transformation, with threats increasingly cutting across land, maritime, air and cyber domains.

The minister, therefore, advocated a defence architecture capable of anticipating threats before they materialise, supported by intelligence sharing, joint operations and greater interoperability among the Armed Forces and other security agencies.

He also expressed confidence that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would retain power, arguing that the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, though painful, would eventually yield results.

Acknowledging his membership of the APC, Musa said his responsibility as defence minister was to Nigeria and not the ruling party.

“I’m there for Nigeria,” he said, adding that the armed forces would work with all political parties and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a peaceful, free and fair election.

On borders and terrorism, said Nigeria was also strengthening its borders through increased cooperation with Cameroon, Benin Republic, Chad and Niger Republic, adding that discussions with the neighbouring countries focused on intelligence sharing, joint operations and preventing terrorists and criminal groups from exploiting border communities.

Musa said terrorist groups were increasingly using cryptocurrency, proxy accounts, crowdfunding and social media to raise funds, but disclosed that Nigeria was working with international partners, including the United States (U.S.), to trace terrorism financing. At the same time, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other agencies were involved in tracking suspicious financial flows.

He said cutting off terrorists’ access to money, food, fuel, water and other supplies remained critical to weakening their operations.