Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has rejected claims by the House of Representatives suggesting that terrorist groups operating in the country are better equipped than the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Speaking at a ministerial press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the minister described the allegations as “absolutely false,” affirming that Nigeria’s military possesses superior weaponry and surveillance technology compared to non-state actors like Boko Haram and ISWAP.
“The notion that terrorists have more advanced weapons than our military is simply not true,” Abubakar said. “We have far more sophisticated equipment, including advanced drones and tactical surveillance systems.”
While acknowledging the ongoing threat of insurgency, the minister emphasized that Nigeria’s security challenges involve unconventional guerrilla tactics, not a traditional battlefield.
“This is not a conventional war. It’s guerrilla warfare,” he explained. “They operate with the support of informants embedded in local communities, which allows them to strike suddenly. Our surveillance systems cannot monitor every location simultaneously, but that does not imply they have superior firepower.”
His comments came in direct response to concerns raised by lawmakers during a House session on Tuesday, where members pointed to a recent deadly ambush in Giwa, Borno State, as evidence that insurgents may be outgunning government troops.
The minister also dismissed speculation that terrorist groups were deploying military-grade armed drones, clarifying that the drones seen so far were modified civilian gadgets, often retrofitted with explosives in a rudimentary fashion.
“They do not possess military drones,” Abubakar clarified. “These are commercially available drones, makeshift at best, and lack any precision-targeting capabilities. They’re improvised—not strategic.”
According to the minister, Nigeria is ramping up its intelligence operations through stronger coordination with the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and international partners. Several arms traffickers have been arrested in recent weeks as part of a broader crackdown on illicit arms supply chains.
“We are tightening surveillance on illegal weapons routes and improving intelligence-sharing mechanisms across borders,” he said. “This includes stricter control of drone imports and use.”
The defence minister’s remarks come as both the Senate and House of Representatives prepare for a joint national security summit aimed at tackling Nigeria’s evolving security threats. The summit—set to involve federal and state governments, security agencies, traditional rulers, and civil society—will focus on issues like community policing, intelligence integration, and security sector reform.
While some lawmakers expressed skepticism, citing the limited impact of past summits, Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed an ad hoc committee to commence preparations immediately.
Reacting to the legislative initiative, Minister Abubakar welcomed the move but cautioned that dialogue must be followed by action.
