By SUMAILA OGBAJE

The Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, has said that insecurity continues to thrive in Nigeria when individuals and communities shield bandits, terrorists and other criminal elements from security agencies.

Musa stated this on Saturday night in Abuja at the 7th OurNigeria News Awards with the theme, “Resilience and Renewal”.

According to him, Nigeria is confronting a complex form of modern conflict that cannot be defeated by military action alone, stressing that public cooperation remains critical to ending criminality.

“This is asymmetric warfare. It is not like conventional warfare where you are fighting another country. In this case, the enemy is within, and that makes it more dangerous,” he said.

The minister explained that criminals often live and operate within communities, disguising themselves as ordinary citizens, which makes intelligence sharing and prompt reporting essential.

“You cannot see it on someone’s face. It could be someone you think is your friend or someone you trust. That is why people must not give criminals any safe haven,” Musa said.

He urged Nigerians to report any form of criminal activity, including banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and insurgency, assuring that security agencies would respond decisively.

Musa noted that the security situation across the country was gradually improving, attributing the progress to sustained military operations, enhanced intelligence gathering and growing public support.

“We are getting there. It is improving by the day. Peace is a whole-of-society effort, and everyone has a role to play,” he said.

Earlier in a goodwill message, the Emir of Doma Kingdom, Alhaji Ahmadu Onawu, described OurNigeria as more than a publication, saying it represents a message of patriotism, hope and national renewal.

Onawu said Nigeria was blessed with exceptional human capital and abundant natural resources, stressing that the country had no reason to remain poor.

According to him, the major challenge confronting the nation was not lack of blessings but failure to fully deploy human and material resources towards nation-building and sustainable development.

He urged Nigerians, regardless of status, to take responsibility for building a prosperous and self-reliant nation, warning that future generations would judge the present by what it leaves behind.

Also speaking, the Publisher of OurNigeria News Magazine, Dr Sani Abubakar, said the core message of the award ceremony was integrity and credibility.

“The major take-home from this award is integrity and credibility. People came all the way from South Africa and Liberia on their own just to receive this recognition. That tells you a lot,” he said.

Abubakar noted that credible awards attract respect and sacrifice, recalling that one of the award recipients had to interrupt his journey to Ghana by air in order to attend the event.

“If an award lacks credibility and is only about business, people would not take such risks or make such sacrifices,” he said.

He explained that the philosophy behind the awards was to recognise excellence without financial or political attachments, stressing that honourees were not required to pay to receive recognition.

“If someone has done exceptionally well in any field, acknowledging that effort and saying ‘you did well’ matters a lot. It motivates people to do more,” Abubakar said.

The publisher cited the example of a philanthropist from Gombe State, Sadik Ishan, who donated vehicles to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), describing the gesture as a powerful symbol of religious tolerance and national unity.

“These are the kinds of actions we want Nigerians to promote. When people like this are encouraged, they will do even more,” he said.

Abubakar added that many award recipients were quietly making positive impacts in their communities without seeking recognition, stressing that celebrating them would inspire greater commitment to national development.

He expressed optimism that the awards would grow in scale and impact in the next five to ten years, with plans to attach cash grants to some recognitions to further empower recipients to do more for society.

At the event, the Man of the Year 2025 award was presented to the minister, Gen. Musa, in recognition of his national leadership, commitment to security and service to Nigeria’s peace and stability.

The 7th OurNigeria News Awards brought together political leaders, security chiefs, scholars, traditional rulers, professionals and civil society actors in recognition of outstanding service, leadership and contributions to national development. (NAN)

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