General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd.), Minister of Defence, on Wednesday commissioned 62 operational vehicles, 320 motorcycles, and security equipment worth ₦27.6 billion procured by the Sokoto State Government. The items include Buffalo Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), bullet-resistant vehicles, bulletproof helmets and vests, night-vision devices, thermal imaging equipment, and security kits aimed at improving intelligence, mobility, and response to banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping. The commissioning took place at Giginya Memorial Stadium in Sokoto.
Speaking to security personnel, General Musa stated that troops deployed to operational areas must confront terrorists and bandits immediately without waiting for orders. "I want to make that very loud and clear. Anybody who refuses to shoot or kill any bandit or terrorist in the name of his waiting for an order, we will treat you like a bandit," he said. He emphasized that the equipment was funded by Nigerian taxpayers and must be used to eliminate threats.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu said Sokoto's location bordering Zamfara, Katsina, and Niger Republic has made parts of the state, especially the eastern corridor, vulnerable to persistent attacks. Since taking office, his administration has prioritized security by procuring over 200 patrol vehicles and 250 motorcycles, restoring and increasing monthly allowances for frontline security personnel, and establishing the Sokoto State Community Guard Corps with 40 Hilux vehicles and 700 motorcycles. Military barracks were built in Illela, a Mobile Police Barracks in Tangaza, and the Nigerian Air Force Base in Sokoto was operationalised.
The state also upgraded communication systems for the Department of State Services (DSS), provided housing for security personnel, and set up Forward Operating Bases in Kagara, Sabon Birni, and Isa. Operational vehicles were supplied to the Nigerian Army, Police Force, and Air Force, while motorcycles were donated to the DSS. Buffalo APCs and BMW R1250 GS Adventure motorcycles were procured, and the first batch of Federal Government-trained Forest Guards has been deployed.
General Musa demands troops shoot terrorists on sight while linking equipment funding to taxpayer money, yet offers no safeguards against misuse of such sweeping authority. Soldiers now face a directive to kill without orders, placing civilians in conflict zones at risk of being misidentified in the heat of operations. Governor Aliyu's extensive procurement and infrastructure efforts suggest a state stepping in where federal presence is perceived as insufficient. The absence of oversight mechanisms in the shoot-on-sight order raises concerns about accountability in military engagements.
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