Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has said the arrest and detention of self-proclaimed leader of the Indegenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa in Finland has doused tension in the South East.
According to him, his arrest, and the ongoing Operation Udoka of the Defence Headquarters, is restoring peace to the region, saying that the troops were working with the people to ensure stability in the region.
Speaking Tuesday, when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Defence to defend the 2025 budget, he said “With the arrest of Simon Ekpa, it has greatly reduced the tension. Also with Operation Udoka, we’re also doing that, picking up most of the leadership that are there, taking them out, and then making sure that the place is peaceful.
“The sit-at-home on Mondays is gradually diminishing. We’re also working with the political leaders there because we understand, like I said always, we need to have the local support because without it, it’s difficult. You know, the terrain is very challenging, so we need to work together. It is improving”.
He said they were committed to non-kinetic measures of addressing the security problem as the approach was yielding positive outcomes. “We had some intelligence and worked ahead to ensure that everywhere was kept peaceful. That has happened and we intend to do that and continue to do more. What we try to encourage is jointness, synergy in our operations.
“And like we always appeal for Nigerians to understand that they have to take ownership of their armed forces, they have to take ownership of the security challenges we are facing. It’s not the challenge for the armed forces alone or security agencies, it’s everybody’s responsibility to do”, he said.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Babajimi Benson earlier said as representatives of the people, it is their duty to ensure that every Naira is judiciously spent to strengthen the operational capacity of the security forces. “We must leverage intelligence, technology, and best practices to neutralize emerging threats and safeguard our citizens. As we deliberate on the 2025 budget, I urge all defense agencies to prioritize strategic initiatives that align with national security objectives,” he said.
