Insecurity: FG, Reps Differ Over Weaponry Used In Fighting Terrorists
The Federal Government and the House of Representatives have differed over the type of weaponry used by the Nigerian Armed Forces to tackle terrorists.
The House of Representatives had claimed that terrorists carrying out attacks in the country possess superior weaponry compared to the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The lawmakers on Tuesday raised concerns over the resurgence of terrorist attacks, particularly in the North-East.
The lawmakers had cited a deadly ambush on a military facility in Giwa, Borno State, as evidence that insurgents might be more heavily armed than government troops.
They expressed worry over the increasing threat posed by Boko Haram and ISWAP, especially in Borno and Yobe States.
But the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, while reacting during a ministerial briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, described such claims as “absolutely not true,” insisting that the military was better equipped both in terms of arms and technology.
“This ministry is a very interesting one because it affects the lives of everyone. Yesterday, the House of Representatives said that terrorists have better weapons than we do. That is absolutely not true. We have much more sophisticated equipment and drones,” he said.
He explained that the nature of terrorism in the country is not a conventional war but rather guerrilla warfare, which requires different tactical approaches.
“This war is not a conventional one; it’s more like guerrilla warfare. They monitor us, they have informants within the communities we are trying to protect, and they strike unexpectedly.
“Our surveillance cannot cover every area at once, but that doesn’t mean they are better armed. We are more advanced in terms of equipment, and that’s why we’ve recorded successes,” he said
Also responding to suggestions that terrorists may be using armed drones, the minister dismissed such claims, saying what had been seen so far were improvised civilian drones.
“From what we’ve gathered so far, they don’t have armed drones. What we’ve seen are basic, commercial drones modified by tying explosives to them—improvised devices. These are not sophisticated or military-grade drones with strategic targeting capabilities,” Badaru clarified.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
