Thursday, January 15, 2026 - The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has issued a stern warning to Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi and other individuals he described as sympathisers of terrorists and bandits, cautioning them against offering overt or covert support to terrorists and bandits threatening national security.
Speaking during an official visit to Maiduguri on Wednesday,
January 14, the Defence Minister said terrorism and banditry should never be
framed as expressions of regional, ethnic, or religious brotherhood.
“A friend of
a thief is a thief,” Musa said
He explained that his remarks were deliberate and directly
addressed narratives previously advanced by Gumi, who had described bandits
operating in forests as “our brothers” and suggested that society could not
function without them.
Drawing a line between compassion and complicity, Musa said
empathy must not translate into legitimising violence. According to him, such
narratives embolden criminal networks that have devastated communities,
displaced families, and claimed countless innocent lives across the country.
The Defence Minister warned that terrorism thrives not only
on weapons but also on moral and rhetorical cover, adding that those who
defend, excuse, or shield criminals through words, influence, or silence share
responsibility for the consequences.
Musa concluded that Nigeria cannot defeat terrorism and
banditry while narratives blur the distinction between victims and
perpetrators, insisting that neutrality is not an option in matters of national
security.
“The choice
is clear. Stand with the law and the nation, or be counted among those enabling
criminality.” he said
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