The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) are tracking politicians behind the country’s insurgency.
In a chat with Channels TV last night, Musa mentioned that security agents are also tracking terrorism financiers, and several prosecutions.
“The process of naming and prosecuting terror financiers is ongoing. The Attorney General, DSS, NIA, and other agencies are working around the clock. Some of these sponsors have international connections, so it requires time and legal precision
General Musa also lamented that the military often risks lives to apprehend high-value targets, only for them to be freed due to technicalities in court.
“You risk your life, arrest a terror suspect, and hand them over. Then they are released due to legal loopholes. It is demoralising,” he stated.
He called for establishing special courts or tribunals to handle terrorism cases swiftly. He urged lawmakers to reform the legal framework, which he described as “too soft” for the nature of the country’s threats.
“We need laws that send a clear message. In other countries, once you’re linked to terrorism, it is over for you. Here, we treat it with kid gloves.”
The Defence Chief also painted a grim picture of the regional security landscape, pointing to the collapse of Libya and the chaos in Sudan as key triggers for the influx of arms and fighters into Nigeria.