Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, says the vast size of the Sambisa Forest is making it difficult for security forces to quickly rescue people abducted by terrorists.
Musa made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, while speaking on the government’s efforts to tackle terrorism and kidnapping.
He said security agencies had rescued many abducted Nigerians, but kidnappers often escaped into large forest areas before troops could locate them.
“Efforts have been made. If you notice, on a daily basis now, we are really getting, rescuing a lot of them,” Musa said.
The minister said the Sambisa Forest was as large as Belgium, stressing that its size and difficult terrain posed significant challenges to security operations.
“So when people talk about this, they make it look as if it is one small football field and we are refusing to do anything,” he said.
Musa explained that the size of the forest gave terrorists an advantage after carrying out attacks, as abductors often disappeared into the bush before security agencies received information about an incident.
“These places are massive areas. The forest within Kwara comes in from Burkina Faso to Benin Republic into Nigeria and flows through all these things,” he said.
He said abductors were often already deep inside the forest by the time security agencies received information about an abduction, making it difficult to determine their exact location.
“So what they do is that once these abductions are done, before the information gets to anybody, these guys are already into the forest,” Musa said.
According to him, troops sometimes have to block terrorists from accessing their usual routes and supplies before they can rescue their victims.
He cited a recent operation in Kwara State in which security forces rescued victims after restricting the movement of their abductors.
“And then the last one that was done in Kwara State, we had to quarantine where they were going, deny them oxygen, and that’s where we were able to get them,” he said.
The minister added that terrorists sometimes abandoned their captives when security forces increased pressure on them, creating opportunities for troops to rescue the victims.
Musa also said authorities were monitoring financial transactions linked to criminal activities, noting that ransom payments could provide useful information for tracking kidnappers.
He said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was involved in efforts to monitor suspicious funds linked to criminal activities.
The Defence Minister further advised state governors to exercise caution when distributing motorcycles as palliatives, warning that some of the vehicles could end up in the hands of terrorists and enhance their mobility.
Despite the challenges posed by Nigeria’s vast forests and difficult terrain, Musa maintained that security forces were making steady progress in the fight against terrorism and kidnapping.
