Terrorists using motorcycles given as palliatives, Defence minister warns

Nigeria's Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Musa, has warned state governors and lawmakers against providing motorcycles as palliatives, as he fears they may end up in the hands of terrorists. Speaking on Thursday's episode of Channels Television’s Politics Today, Musa expressed concerns that these motorcycles could give terrorists the mobility to move quickly through difficult terrain and evade security forces.

He urged that smaller capacity motorcycles be given instead of larger ones, to prevent terrorists from using them for their operations.

Musa also cautioned that motorcycles distributed through constituency projects and other palliative programmes could eventually be repurposed by bandits and terrorists. He stated that illegal markets and motor parks are often used by terrorists to move arms and ammunition into areas where they operate. To curb this issue, Musa called for greater involvement of local governments in tackling insecurity, as they have a closer proximity to communities and can more effectively identify criminals and prevent crime.

He suggested that local government chairmen hold regular security meetings and report developments in their areas, to better manage criminals within their localities. Musa urged authorities to strengthen monitoring of markets, motor parks, and other locations where drugs, weapons, and ammunition could be moved, to make it difficult for terrorists and help thwart their operations.