Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, has called for the country to build fences along its borders to improve national security.
Speaking at a security conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Musa stressed the need for better control of Nigeria’s borders. He pointed out that other countries like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have had to fence their borders with Afghanistan and Iraq because of security problems.
Musa said Nigeria needs to fully secure and control its borders, explaining that the country’s wealth and natural resources are attracting insurgents and criminals.
“Other countries, because of the level of insecurity they have, had to fence their borders,” he said.
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“It is Nigeria that everybody is interested in. That is why we need to secure fully and take control of our borders. It is critical for our survival and sovereignty.”
Nigeria shares borders with four countries: Niger Republic, Cameroon, Benin, and Chad. All of these neighbouring countries are currently dealing with different levels of insecurity and conflict.
The problem is that Nigeria’s borders are porous, meaning they have many openings that aren’t properly monitored or controlled. Security experts have long pointed to these weak borders as a major reason why insurgency and cross-border threats have increased within Nigeria.
When borders aren’t properly secured, it becomes easy for criminals, terrorists, and other dangerous groups to move freely between countries, bringing weapons and carrying out attacks.
