CDS: Nigeria is the Main Attraction in the Sahel, Our Borders Should be Fenced

… Says security forces have made arrests over Benue killings

… Sen. Dickson backs fencing borders

Nume Ekeghe

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has called for urgent and decisive measures to secure the country’s borders and address escalating insecurity, especially in Benue State and other parts of the North Central region.

Speaking in an interview on ARISE News, General Musa said Nigeria had become a main attraction for terrorist and criminal groups operating in the Sahel region due to its porous borders.

In a separate interview that followed General Musa’s appearance on ARISE News, Senator Seriake Dickson described the ongoing violence in Benue State as “a genocidal-level assault,” warning that the federal government’s fragmented response has left a dangerous vacuum in national security.

The former governor of Bayelsa State echoed the call for urgent border security reforms, aligning with General Musa’s proposal for fencing Nigeria’s porous frontiers.

Musa said: “Looking at the Sahel, the main attraction to all these terrorists and bandits is Nigeria. This perception of Nigeria as a rich country with weak border control must change. That’s why it is important to fence our borders.”

He suggested beginning the fencing initiative from the Niger Republic axis, which he described as the most vulnerable to infiltration. “We can start with Niger. That corridor is the most dangerous right now,” he warned.

Reiterating his call for fencing the borders, Musa said: “What is money if you are dead? Countries that have secured their borders through fencing have achieved significant gains.”

The Defence Chief’s comments come in the wake of renewed attacks in Benue State, where civilians have reportedly been killed. He said: “Any death, even if it’s just one person, is one too many.” Musa said, describing the rising civilian casualty figures as “horrifying.”

Musa also disclosed that security agencies had already made arrests in connection with the Benue killings. “The police have arrested a number of people and investigations are ongoing in collaboration with the DSS. We are law-abiding and must ensure due process, but action is being taken.”

Furthermore, the former governor of Bayelsa State and senator representing Bayelsa West decried what he called the federal government’s slow and inadequate reaction to repeated massacres of civilians in Benue and other northern states.

Dickson said: “With the government and people of Benue State and all the families affected, and indeed with all Nigerians, this is not just a Benue tragedy. What has been going on is actually a collective assault, an assault on our shared humanity.”

While acknowledging that President Bola Tinubu eventually visited Benue, Dickson insisted the gesture came late and lacked the force many Nigerians expected.
“Yes, the President went there, which is good but I think he should have gone much earlier. And when he finally did, the declarations and actions announced were not far-reaching enough.This isn’t a situation for reconciliation committees; what is happening is pure criminality, almost at a genocidal level.”
Dickson threw his weight behind recent remarks by the Chief of Defence Staff, who warned about foreign fighter infiltration due to Nigeria’s porous borders. The senator agreed that bold, immediate steps are needed including the possibility of physically fencing parts of the country’s borders.

“Our borders are wide open,” he said. “We’re surrounded by Francophone countries, many of which are going through their own instability. With the collapse of security in the Sahel, and state failure in parts of the region, Nigeria has become a soft target for external mercenaries. I support fencing — or whatever strategic method is required — to protect our sovereignty.”
He added: “The President must convene an urgent security summit with state governors and security chiefs. It’s long overdue. This can’t just be a federal problem — states need to be empowered and accountable.”
Furthermore, Senator Dickson also reiterated his longstanding support for ranching as a national security and food policy. While commending President Tinubu’s creation of a Ministry of Livestock, he stressed the need for more comprehensive planning and execution.

“I’ve been saying this for years: the solution is a national policy on ranching,” he said. “Not just in Benue, but across the country. Build the ranches, regulate them, and then you can ban open grazing. Do it the right way and no governor will oppose it.”