Defence Minister Musa insist say Nigeria fit build wall across all di kontri border

Nigeria Minister of Defence Christopher Musa don tok say e dey possible for Nigeria to build wall across all di kontri border to make sure say jaguda pipo no go dey fit enta di kontri anyhow.

For im exclusive interview wit di BBC, Musa insist say kontris wey dia borders long pass Nigeria own don do am, and na one sure way to improve security for di kontri.

"Maybe we fit no get physical walls all through, bicos e get sum areas wia be water bodies, you no go fit put walls dia. But e get technology wey we fit use, and e go be a systematic tin. Some fit be dis kain technology wey be say once you cross, alarm go set and we go take action," Musa tok.

"So we dey reason am from all aspects. We know kontris wey don actually deploy something wey don work for dem."

Nigeria get more dan 4000 kilometres of land border, but despite dat, Musa wey bin work as Nigeria Chief of Defence Staff, say e dey realistic to construct di border wall.

"Kontris wey even dey bigger dan Nigeria don dey able to do am, so e no dey impossible. We fit do am once we set our minds on it," e tok.

Di Nigeria govment insist say di kontri porous border na one of di main reason for rising insecurity.

Howeva, bifor building di wall, Musa tok say di strategy na to increase technology awareness, and communicating wit di communities around di border areas so dat dem go know say dem get role to play, and make dem no dey support di terrorists in any way.

Towards di end of 2025, several cases of mass abductions bin take place for different areas of di kontri including Niger, Kebbi and Kwara States.

And on Christmas day, di US govment bin carry out airstrikes for some locations for Sokoto State wia members of di terrorist group Lakurawa dey hide, even though e neva dey clear di actual impact wey dose airstrikes bin get.

Musa tell BBC say dat strike bin dey very effective as e make di terrorists to run back to Niger Republic wia dem come from.

"Di airstrike kill some of di terrorist but di few ones wey manage to escape bin run bak to Niger, and dat na why we dey appeal say make we no dey allow pipo to dey enta our kontri thinking say dem be our brother or sister or friend. Dem no mean us well," Musa tok.

Di former defence chief also tok about di recent military equipment wey Nigeria receive from di United States some days ago and e clarify say na equipment wey di Nigeria govment bin don pay for, so na just coincidence say e arrive at dis time.

But e also show say Nigeria get good relationship wit di US, Musa tok, despite di recent allegation by Donald Trump say christians dey face genocide for di West African kontri.

"I know say we don conduct series of training for Nigeria wit di US and oda kontris, both within Nigeria and outside. So we and di US na good allies and na so e go continue to be. But we dey assure Nigerians say e go be in such a way dat our sovereignty no go dey compromised."

Musa, who be Christian imsef, strongly reject di accuse say Christians dey face genocide hia.

"Na Nigerians dem dey kill. Dat na di bottom line. We no wan go into Christian, Muslim, evribody na victim. Dat na wetin I wan make di international community understand," e tok.

"Whateva effort we dey make na to stop di killing. So weda na Christians dem dey kill, abi na Muslims, abi non-Muslims or non-Christians, dem dey kill pipo and we must to stop di killing."

Di Defence Minister also rule out di accuse Nigeria govment fit dey pay ransom to bandits to release di pipo wey dem bin kidnap, like di case of di school children for Niger and Kebbi States, and di worshippers for Kwara.

E explain say for some cases, wen di bandits see say di military don corner dem and dem no fit escape, dem go abandon dia victims and go dat na wetin hapun.

"We no dey approve any ransom payments for wateva reason, bicos once you do am, you give dem liver to want to do more."