The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has dismissed insinuations that terrorist groups wield superior fire power over the country’s armed forces.
Badaru during a ministerial briefing on Wednesday in Abuja, said that the Nigerian military possessed far superior weapons and technology than any terrorist group.
He also refuted remarks made by members of the House of Representatives recently.
The lawmakers had expressed concerns over the strength of terrorist factions, following a recent attack on a military installation in Giwa, Borno.
They had described the incident as evidence that Boko Haram insurgents were better equipped than the Nigerian troops tasked with tackling them.
In his reaction, the minister, emphasised that the challenge laid more on the insurgents’ irregular warfare tactics rather than military inferiority.
According to him, the current challenge is not a lack of firepower but rather the unpredictable tactics used by terrorists, often aided by informants within local communities.
“Yesterday, the House of Representatives said that the terrorists have better weapons than us.
“That is absolutely not true. We have much more sophisticated weapons and we have much more sophisticated drones.
“The issue is, this war is not a conventional war. It’s like a guerrilla war. They watch us, they have informants around us.
“They help the people that we try to protect, and they give them information, then they jump at us the way we don’t expect when they know that our surveillance mechanism is watching other directions.”
On the use of drones by terrorist groups, Badaru clarified that terror groups were using modified civilian drones and not weaponised or military-grade variants.
He assured that the military was doubling its intelligence efforts both locally and internationally to track and cut off their supply sources.
While providing update on domestic defence production, he noted that the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) was gradually ramping up local production.
“Out of 53 companies operating within the complex, 10 have already begun producing military-grade hardware, including drones, aircraft components, and protective gear.
”Most of them are at various stages of constructing their factories.
”About 10 of these companies have already commenced production, including the manufacturing of drones, aircraft components, personal computers, helmets, safety vests, and other equipment.
“We are targeting at least 20 companies to be operational by the end of the year, and by next year, we aim to begin exporting.
“We are working to see if we can sustain a section in Ajaokuta that will support our efforts to make DICON more vibrant,” he added. (NAN)
