Terrorism Don Defeat, Or Insecurity Just Change Uniform?

Terrorism don apparently reach the point where Defence Minister Christopher Musa dey say Nigeria don defeat am, but before Nigerians begin open champagne, one small question dey knock for the door: if terrorism don leave, who exactly dey occupy the insecurity seat now? Musa made the claim during a Thursday appearance on Politics Today, where he insisted say terrorist attacks no longer dey as rampant or brazen as before and said the security challenge has largely shifted towards kidnapping.

Musa Says Terrorism Don Reduce As Kidnapping Take Centre Stage

Musa’s position be say, “frankly speaking,” Nigeria don defeat terrorists because their attacks don reduce significantly. According to the minister, the security situation fit move through different stages, from ordinary criminality to kidnapping and eventually terrorism or insurgency. Once security forces successfully attack those groups, he argued, the activity can move back towards abductions and kidnapping.

The minister also gave another warning wey show say the terrorism matter no necessarily mean every armed criminal network don disappear. He urged state governors to reconsider giving motorcycles as palliatives because such vehicles can eventually enter the hands of terrorists and become useful for criminal operations. Musa further said troops are now entering terrorist enclaves and recovering some people wey criminals previously abduct.

But make nobody misunderstand the statement as “Nigeria security problem don finish.” Even Musa himself has previously acknowledged that banditry, insurgency and terrorism remain difficult because criminal groups sometimes receive food, water, information and logistics from people around their operating areas. He stressed that security agencies need citizens’ cooperation to properly tackle the networks.

The kidnapping angle makes the minister’s declaration more complicated. Recent figures published in August from security consultancy SBM Intelligence and reported by Reuters said 7,825 people were abducted across Nigeria between July 2025 and June 2026, representing a 66 per cent increase from the previous year. At least 1,142 people were also reported killed, while confirmed ransom payments reached about ₦7.78 billion.

And the scale of some recent incidents show why Nigerians may be listening to Musa’s terrorism claim with one eyebrow raised. In August, an alleged mass abduction in Niger State reportedly involved about 600 women, children and elderly people, although Reuters noted that the figure could not independently verify the exact number. President Bola Tinubu subsequently ordered security agencies to launch a rescue operation.

There is also evidence that the line between terrorism and kidnapping can be blurry. In July, three suspects linked to the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State pleaded guilty to some terrorism charges in Federal High Court proceedings. That development shows why simply moving an incident from the “terrorism” box into the “kidnapping” box may not always capture the full security picture.

So, if terrorism attacks truly reduce, that development deserves recognition because fewer attacks mean fewer communities living under direct threat. But the public scoreboard no be only about whether Boko Haram or ISWAP attacks appear less frequently. Nigerians also want to know whether kidnappers, bandits and other armed groups are losing territory, funding, weapons, recruits and freedom of movement. Otherwise, insecurity fit simply change jersey and continue playing the same match.

For now, Musa’s declaration has opened a fresh debate about what “defeated” actually means in Nigeria’s long-running security battle. If terrorism genuinely dey retreat, the next major test go be whether kidnapping and other forms of violent criminality follow am out of the door. Until that happens, OGM News Pidgin go keep watching the security scoreboard—because Nigerians no just want new labels for old problems; dem want safer roads, safer schools, safer communities and the confidence to sleep without calculating the price of ransom inside their dreams.