Niger Republic has rejoined Multinational Joint Task Force – Minister of Defence

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has revealed that Nigeria’s neighbouring Niger Republic has rejoined the Multinational Joint Task Force, MNJTF, for collective and cooperative fight against insurgents and terrorists ravaging the West African sub-region.

He spoke at a press conference on Thursday at the Sani Abacha Hall of the National Defence College Abuja to herald the 2025 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration.

He said, the Francophone nation was inspired by the successes of Nigeria in tackling terrorists by the troops, stressing that Nigeria had been bedeviled with insurgency and terrorism in decades.

The Minister said: “Owing to the onslaught on insurgents, the Armed Forces has degraded their capacity, necessitating the surrender of more than 100,000 insurgents and the elimination of their top commanders. In consolidating efforts to end insurgency, the Nigerian Armed Forces led by the Chief of Defence Staff has recently got the Republic of Niger back into the MNJTF.

“Our dear nation, Nigeria, has been bedeviled by serious internal security concerns for over a decade. These challenges have stretched the resources of our nation and the Armed Forces to restore normalcy.

“The war on insurgency has led the pack of security challenges threatening the corporate existence of our dear nation. As the nation was beginning to heave a sigh of relief from insurgency in the North East, new frontiers of terror emerged in the North West and North Central in the form of banditry, cattle rustling and kidnapping. The earlier classification of this brand of terror as banditry did not help the cause of its eradication. However, as far as we are concerned, today the bandits are terrorists/insurgents.

“Armed Forces of Nigeria has risen up to these challenges irrespective of the costs paid by our troops. For this reason, we now have a situation that is under control. When bandits and criminals formulate new techniques and establish new bases when dislodged, the Armed Forces have continued to adopt new strategies and switch up their tactics to take the battle to their doorsteps.

“The troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) have continually dealt fatal blows to terrorist groups in the Lake Chad Region through a series of daring operations. In one such operation conducted on 15th June, 2024, several terrorists were neutralized and 34 women and children were rescued from insurgents.

“It is gladdening to note that scores of insurgents have been surrendering and renouncing terrorism. The Federal Government through the Defence Headquarters, Ministry of Defence and relevant Agencies will continue to de-radicalize and rehabilitate repentant insurgents to live peaceful and productive lives.

“This is employing the carrot and stick or kinetic and non-kinetic approach to the warfare. We therefore continue to call for co- operation from our citizens who are rightly aggrieved by the past deeds of these repentant insurgents. We all have to realize and appreciate the need to quickly end this war to usher in an era of peace and mutual coexistence for the development of our beloved fatherland.

Badaru, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, lamented the huge loss of human and financial resources incurred in the course of procuring war against bandits and terrorists in three parts of Northeast, Northwest and the Northcentral Nigeria.

He said: “The losses occasioned by this war on insurgency in terms of human, infrastructural and material resources incurred by our country are very huge, hence the need for an end to the ugly scenario.

“Rest assured, we will continue to prioritize the welfare, training, and equipment needs of our troops to maintain their operational readiness and efficiency even as we look forward to adopting a proactive approach to combating our security challenges by harnessing our intelligence resources and having stronger partnerships with our West African neighbours.

“The Federal Government will also continue to equip the Armed Forces with combat capabilities, training and equipment with a view to reducing to the barest minimum, causalities due to operations. Indeed the untapped potential of our domestic defence industry is quite immense, and the Ministry is dedicated to revitalizing this sector to meet the needs of our Armed Forces.

He noted that Nigerian security agents were engaged in battle with criminals in all fronts, even as oil thieves were also feeling the heat in the oil rich region of Niger Delta and parts of the South South region.

“Also, the Nigerian Navy Ship Soroh discovered and deactivated an illegal refining site in the Isonogbene area of Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. The Nigerian Air Force carried out impressive airstrikes on 17th June, 2024, in Katsina State, resulting in the elimination of over 80 terrorists.

“These strikes, along with previous ones in various parts of the North West and North East have significantly disrupted terrorist activities and enhanced the safety of several communities for their residents.

“This will no doubt help in securing our very extensive border with that country as well as contribute to the overall effectiveness of the Joint Task Force. Thanks to the renewed vigour, incidences of security breaches have been reduced by an estimated 65% across the country and the Armed Forces will continue until the nation achieves insignificant level of breaches on its security.

“In the same vein, oil production has received a big boost as the country’s production has doubled from the level obtainable last year. There is hope of achieving a 2-million-barrel per day output before the end of the year 2024.

“In a landmark achievement, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, signed the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Act into law on 23rd November, 2023. The revised legislation empowers DICON to produce, stock, and dispose of ammunition, consequently establishing a reliable supply chain for our military.

“The DICON Act establishes the Defence Industry Technology, Research and Development Institute; and will leverage multidisciplinary research to drive the commercialization and evolution of new military technologies, strategically positioning Nigeria as a leader in defence innovation in the process.

“The revitalization of DICON represents more than just an enhancement of our defence capabilities; it is a statement of national pride and self-sufficiency. This initiative will create jobs for our youth, advance Nigeria’s technological and military stature, and position us as a key player in the global defence market.

“Our goal is to develop a robust domestic industry capable of meeting Nigeria’s security needs and, in the future, serve international markets. I would therefore like to call on corporate Bodies and individuals to invest in DICON for the production of defence equipment and hardware.

“Furthermore, the Ministry has witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between DICON, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

“This agreement paves the way for the establishment of a munitions production facility, ensuring that our troops are equipped with the tools they need to defend our nation. By producing these munitions domestically, we are not only enhancing our security but also saving hundreds of millions of Dollars that would otherwise be spent on imports, thereby strengthening the Naira and boosting our economy.

“It is gladdening to note that the opportunity created by the DICON Act is being explored by many hardworking Nigerian entrepreneurs and their foreign partners. As a result, there has been the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between these entities and DICON towards the establishment of a Military Industrial Complex.

“This will in turn lead to more dependence on our local companies for defence equipment supplies and a boost in job creation and employment generation. The ultimate goal is to achieve self-sufficiency in the defence sector for Nigeria as well as contribute to the global defence industry.”

The Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration is organized annually to honour the departed heroes and heroines who paid the supreme price for peace in war front.