Defence Minister Christopher Musa (retd) sat down for an exclusive interview at ministry headquarters on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. He defended the military's recent airstrike operation in strong terms.
Insurgents deliberately position themselves among civilians to complicate targeting decisions, Musa explained. Distinguishing between fighters and ordinary people on the ground remains extremely difficult.
When reminded of his earlier statement that "a friend of a thief is a thief," the minister didn't back down. Anyone found alongside terrorists would be treated as a terrorist, he insisted.
Making yourself a target guarantees you'll be treated as one, according to Musa. Once you align with terrorists or bandits, you become a legitimate objective for elimination.
Terrorism persists partly because the military often cancels strikes when civilians are nearby, he noted. Insurgents exploit this restraint by using non-combatants as human shields.
Those supplying weapons and materials to terrorist groups also become valid targets, Musa added. Most people taken out in operations weren't innocent bystanders, he argued.
Survivors of the Jilli airstrike claimed they weren't terrorists. Musa seized on the word "claimed" with visible skepticism.
He challenged reporters to visit Jilli themselves and ask residents about the location. The minister said locals would confirm nobody had legitimate reasons to be there.
During his tenure as theatre commander, soldiers died fighting in Jilli, Musa recalled. Those same attacks happened in that exact location during Operation Last Hold.
People from the Lake Chad region frequent Jilli for commercial reasons, he explained. They purchase supplies at the market, then transport goods to insurgent positions.
This supply network represents an arrangement between suppliers and armed groups, according to Musa. Cutting off these logistics chains is essential to ending the conflict.
Civilians in Maiduguri and Damaturu understand Jilli's true nature, he contended. They know people shouldn't be operating in that zone under normal circumstances.
Musa's position remained unchanged: military operations must proceed when opportunities arise. Allowing terrorists to escape because of nearby civilians only strengthens their position.
