The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has claimed that Nigeria has defeated terrorists to a significant extent, saying attacks by terrorist groups are no longer as rampant as they were in the past.

Musa made the assertion while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he assessed the country’s security situation and the changing nature of threats confronting Nigerians.

According to him, although terrorist attacks have reduced considerably, kidnapping has emerged as a more prominent security challenge.

“Frankly speaking, we have. Because, like I said, the attacks are not as rampant and it is now to kidnapping,” the minister said.

He described kidnapping as increasingly becoming a social problem, noting that some incidents now involve people within the same families.

“Kidnapping is now a social ill. Now, you’ve seen wives kidnapping husbands and husbands kidnapping children, so it is a social thing,” he added.

Musa, however, warned against allowing asymmetric warfare to become entrenched in Nigeria, stressing that terrorism differs fundamentally from conventional warfare because of its ideological foundation.

“No country should ever allow asymmetry warfare. Why? We are dealing with ideology. Ideology is not what you can see; it is what a man believes in,” he said.

The minister said the ideological dimension of terrorism makes it particularly difficult to combat because those involved can be motivated by deeply held beliefs rather than conventional military objectives.

He explained that extremist groups often indoctrinate followers with the belief that their ideology is the only correct one, while portraying those outside it as being wrong.

“The perception they are told is that every other person is wrong and that they are the only ones doing right,” Musa added.