Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa has given insight into the existence of numerous military checkpoints in the South East region of Nigeria, explaining that the presence of these checkpoints are largely determined by the terrain of an area.
In an interview with Arise TV, General Musa analysed how open areas require fewer checkpoints, while more closed or challenging terrains necessitate greater military presence to prevent enemy movement. While he acknowledged that the South East and the South West has the same kind of terrain, he noted that the current threat level in the South West is relatively low compared to the South East.
According to the Defence Chief: ‘It is because of the terrain. We operate based on the terrain. If the terrain is open, it’s less. If the terrain is closed, it’s more. Because if you don’t do that, you give the enemy the ability to move around freely.
“The threat level in the South West isn’t that much. So, that is the issue. The thing is that if we make mistakes, people get killed. And people feel we’re not doing our job. So, we have to take whatever it is that we need to do right to ensure that we secure the individuals in the South East.
“Sometimes it could be difficult. Sometimes, it could be painful. And it seems as if we’re being very hard. But it just depends on the situation. We don’t just like to come and impugn on people. We don’t like it. But sometimes we’re forced to do it because that’s the only measure we need to take at that time. And once it gets better, we pull out.”