By Atlantic Reports

The Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, has called for Nigeria’s security response to combine military operations with intelligence, technology and stronger cooperation among agencies to detect threats before they lead to loss of life.

Musa spoke on Monday at the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DECAN) Conference on National Security and Awards Ceremony in Abuja.

Represented by his Senior Special Adviser on Foreign Relations, retired Air Commodore Steven Ogunmodede, the minister said contemporary threats demanded approaches that went beyond visible battlefield activity.

The conference’s theme was “Beyond Kinetic Warfare: Harnessing Technology and Intelligence-Led Operations for Nigeria’s National Security”.

Musa said troop deployments, engagements, recovered territory and arrests remained important, but did not provide a complete picture of security operations.

“For a long time, public understanding of security operations has been shaped largely by visible military action; troops deployed, engagements conducted, territory recovered and arrests made,” he said.

“These remain important measures of operational activity, but they do not tell the whole story.”

He said terrorist groups and criminal networks increasingly exploited technology, information, financial systems and weaknesses in institutional coordination.

Addressing these threats, he argued, required timely intelligence, effective planning and the ability to understand networks and anticipate attacks.

For communities exposed to violence, the distinction is consequential: identifying a threat early can allow security agencies to intervene before an attack, rather than respond after lives have been lost.

Musa said technology could improve surveillance, reconnaissance, communications and analysis, but its effectiveness depended on trained personnel, reliable systems and sound operational judgement.

“Technology is a force multiplier; it does not replace the human judgement, discipline and professional competence upon which military effectiveness ultimately depends,” he said.

He said the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces were pursuing approaches to improve intelligence coordination, situational awareness and operational effectiveness.

However, his remarks did not identify specific investments, implementation deadlines or measurable results. He emphasised that spending on technology must produce practical improvements in protecting lives and responding to emerging threats.

The minister also called for stronger cooperation across security institutions, saying no single agency held all the information or capabilities needed to address current challenges.

On relations with the media, Musa said the public’s right to information and the operational needs of security agencies should not be treated as inherently incompatible.

“Responsible journalism strengthens public understanding, promotes accountability and helps sustain confidence in our institutions,” he said.

He noted that successful intelligence operations might prevent attacks without producing dramatic images or publicly disclosed details. The absence of a visible military engagement, he said, should not automatically be interpreted as an absence of action.

At the same time, Musa said security institutions had a responsibility to communicate accurately and promptly to strengthen public confidence.

He described scrutiny of the Armed Forces as legitimate and necessary, while urging journalists to verify reports and exercise care with information that could expose personnel, compromise operations or endanger civilians.

“My expectation is not that the media should abandon legitimate scrutiny, but that the pursuit of information should be balanced with an appreciation of the consequences that reporting can sometimes carry in a security environment,” he said.

Musa was invested as Grand Patron of DECAN at the event.

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