Education Key to Countering Terrorism and Banditry — Defence Minister
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd), has identified quality education as one
of the most potent tools in the long-term fight against terrorism, banditry, and violent extremism in the
country.
General Musa made the declaration on Sunday, June 7, 2026, while speaking at a high-level security and
education stakeholders’ forum in Kaduna alongside Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, and
leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
The Defence Minister emphasised that while kinetic military operations remain essential, sustainable
peace requires addressing the root causes of insecurity.
He described education as a powerful weapon against ignorance, hopelessness, and extremist ideologies that fuel recruitment into terrorist and bandit groups.
“An educated and enlightened population offers a stronger defence against extremism, criminality, and
social instability than force alone,” General Musa stated.
He added that education equips citizens with critical thinking skills, moral values, and economic
opportunities, making them less vulnerable to manipulation by criminal elements.
Governor Uba Sani echoed the minister’s position, stressing that quality education, active citizenship,
and stronger collaboration between communities and security agencies are critical to defeating banditry
and terrorism in Kaduna and across Nigeria.
The forum highlighted the need for a “whole-of-society” approach to security that combines military
action with non-kinetic measures such as expanded access to education, skills development, and
community engagement.
Participants noted that many young people recruited by bandits and terrorists are often from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Defence Minister also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s education reforms, describing
them as strategic investments in long-term national security and social stability.
This latest emphasis on education as a counter-terrorism tool aligns with the Federal Government’s
broader strategy of combining hard and soft power approaches to insecurity.
It comes amid ongoing military operations in the North-West and North-East, as well as recent high-profile abductions of schoolchildren in states like Oyo and Borno.
The Defence Minister’s comments reinforce the growing consensus among security chiefs and state
governors that defeating terrorism and banditry requires both guns and books, military pressure on the
battlefield and educational empowerment in communities.
By Oyinkansola Shittu.
