General Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff, has shed more light on the prolonged battle against terrorism in Nigeria’s North-East. He explained why the military’s efforts to eradicate the Boko Haram terrorist group have taken so long.

General Musa highlighted that Boko Haram initially started as a group of miscreants causing public disturbances.

However, the group evolved over time into a deadly organization capable of sophisticated attacks. In 2011, they escalated from targeting soft spots to launching suicide bombings, including high-profile attacks on police buildings and the United Nations office in Abuja.

The group’s reign of terror has caused unimaginable suffering. Tens of thousands of innocent civilians have been killed in the north-east, while over 2.3 million people have been displaced since May 2013. These statistics reflect the devastating toll of Boko Haram’s activities on the region.

On Friday, General Musa identified several factors contributing to the prolonged conflict during an appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today.

He pointed out issues such as the group’s adaptability, its use of asymmetrical warfare tactics, and the region's challenging terrain. He emphasized that despite these obstacles, the military remains committed to ending the insurgency and restoring peace.

“What I tell people is- no country should allow this kind of thing to commence. It is a complex operation to eradicate extremely difficult.

“Because before now, when we had conventional warfare, you are fighting a country. You know you’re fighting for territory. You want to achieve something.

“Now you are fighting with people that have nothing to lose. It is an ideology they have in their minds. They believe they are right and you are wrong. He believes if he kills you, he’s getting a blessing. If you kill him, he’s going to heaven. That’s absolutely nothing to lose.

“That makes it very difficult, and it’s not written on their foreheads. So, how do you identify who is who?

“And they’ve realized that we obey international laws, they don’t. So what do they do? They use human shields. Anytime they have anything, they go with people so that you cannot attack them or shoot, which makes it so.

“When people say, why is it taking so long? It is a very, very difficult operation to do because you make a mistake, you kill some people, and your country comes after you. If you don’t kill them [the terrorists], and they continue striving. So, in both ways, you are at the receiving end.

“Because you are wearing a uniform, you can be identified. You are, by law, constitutionally held down on certain things you must obey. So those are the issues we are facing.

“You know, as I told you, if it was conventional warfare with the equipment and armaments we have now, we’ll go to a community and flatten the entire community where they live. We’ll end this in the short term, but you can’t do that anymore.”