Nigeria: Minister Of Defense, Musa Warns Terrorists’ Sympathizers

Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has warned Sheikh Ahmed Gumi and others sympathetic to terrorists and bandits to stop their subversive endeavour, saying, “a friend of a thief is a thief.”

Speaking yesterday during an official visit to Maiduguri, the minister said those engaged in acts of terrorism and banditry did not represent any form of regional, ethnic, or religious brotherhood.

The warning came as the Nigerian Army announced it had taken a significant step towards strengthening its manpower development and national security framework with the construction of a new training depot at Amasiri-Edda, situated within the Afikpo and Edda local government areas of Ebonyi State.

Musa explained that his remarks were deliberate and purposeful, not merely symbolic. He emphasized that Nigerians must refrain from supporting or justifying any form of criminal activity.

He said the warning directly responded to narratives previously advanced by Sheikh Gumi, who had referred to bandits hiding in forests as “our brothers” and suggested that society could not function without them.

Musa stated that Nigeria could not defeat terrorism and banditry while dangerous narratives blurred the line between victims and perpetrators.

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