The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), says the huge size of the Sambisa Forest is making it difficult for security forces to quickly rescue people kidnapped by terrorists.
Musa made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he spoke about the government’s efforts to tackle terrorism and kidnapping.
According to him, security agencies have rescued many abducted Nigerians, but kidnappers often escape into large forest areas before troops can locate them.
“Few ones now, efforts have been made. If you notice, on a daily basis now, we are really getting, rescuing a lot of them,” Musa said.
“So this government is overwhelmed. Sambisa Forest is as big as Belgium, as a country. So when people talk about this, they make it look as if it is one small football field and we are refusing to do anything.”
The minister explained that the size and difficult terrain of the forest give terrorists an advantage after carrying out attacks. He noted that kidnappers often disappear into the bush before security agencies receive information about an abduction, making it harder for troops to determine their exact location.
“These places are massive areas. The forest within Kwara comes in from Burkina Faso to Benin Republic into Nigeria and flows through all these things,” he said.
“So what they do is that once these abductions are done, before the information gets to anybody, these guys are already into the forest.”
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Musa said troops sometimes have to block terrorists from accessing their usual routes and supplies before they can rescue their victims. He referred to a recent operation in Kwara State, where security forces rescued victims after restricting the movement of their abductors.
“And then the last one that was done in Kwara State, we had to quarantine where they were going, deny them oxygen, and that’s where we were able to get them,” Musa said.
He added that terrorists sometimes abandon their captives when security forces increase pressure on them, giving troops an opportunity to rescue the victims.
Musa also stated that authorities were monitoring financial transactions connected to criminal activities, explaining that ransom payments could provide useful information for tracking kidnappers. He noted that the Central Bank of Nigeria was involved in efforts to monitor suspicious funds linked to criminal activities.
The Defence Minister further advised state governors to be careful about distributing motorcycles as palliatives, warning that some of the vehicles could end up in the hands of terrorists and improve their mobility.
Despite the challenges created by Nigeria’s vast forests and difficult terrain, Musa maintained that security forces were making steady progress in the fight against terrorism and kidnapping.