Local Informants Are Bandits’ ‘Oxygen,’ Defence Minister Warns

Nigeria’s Defence Minister, General Christopher Musa (retd.), says local complicity is a key reason terrorism and banditry remain entrenched. He told delegates at a national dialogue in Lagos that armed groups depend on a shadow network of ordinary citizens for food, water and information. He described this support as the criminals’ “oxygen.” General Musa urged Nigerians to see insecurity as a collective crisis rather than a solely military challenge. He called for more community-led intelligence and proactive reporting to cut off the lifelines that sustain these groups.

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