Musa orders service chiefs to review military strategy as terror attacks escalate in north

Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has directed the nation’s service chiefs to travel to the North-East and North-West to review and strengthen ongoing military operations following a fresh wave of attacks by terrorist groups.

The directive was issued on Wednesday during a security meeting at the Ministry of Defence, where the minister met with top military commanders to deliberate on the deteriorating security situation in the affected regions.

According to Timothy Antigha, media adviser to the minister, the service chiefs have been tasked with assessing operational challenges on the ground and recommending strategies to improve the military’s response.

Antigha said the commanders are expected to submit detailed reports after their visits to the troubled areas.

The order comes amid renewed attacks targeting military formations in the North-East.

On Monday, fighters linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) reportedly killed a commanding officer of the Nigerian Army during an assault on a military base in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.

Troops of the Nigerian Army, however, repelled another early morning attack by suspected ISWAP fighters on the same area the following day.

About a week earlier, suspected militants from Boko Haram and ISWAP had attempted to overrun military positions in Ngoshe, located in Gwoza Local Government Area of the state.

Business Hallmark had reported that Boko Haram fighters killed three commanders and many soldiers within one week.

In response to the attacks, the Nigerian Air Force carried out air strikes that reportedly killed more than 50 suspected terrorists.

The recent incidents have raised concerns over the resurgence of insurgent activities in parts of northern Nigeria, despite years of military campaigns aimed at weakening the extremist groups.