Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (Rtd), has clarified why the bodies of terrorists were not recovered following recent United States airstrikes carried out in parts of the country.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Thursday, the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) said the nature of the weapons deployed made it impossible to find physical remains of those neutralised.
MAIN EXPLANATION
According to Gen. Musa, the terrorists were hit with high-precision advanced weapons, including Tomahawk missiles, which leave little to no visible trace after impact.
“They wouldn’t know, because the way they were neutralised, you wouldn’t see anything. It’s a new kind of weapon that was used, the Tomahawks,” he explained.
ON FAILED MISSILE REPORTS
Responding to claims that some of the missiles did not explode, the defence minister dismissed the concerns, describing such outcomes as part of deliberate military tactics.
“That is all part of the tactics. In a conflict attack, you deceive your enemy. Those are all part of it.”
He stressed that these strategies are common in modern warfare and do not indicate operational failure.
NIGERIA’S PARALLEL MILITARY OPERATIONS
While the US airstrikes were ongoing, Nigerian security forces were also actively engaged in coordinated offensives across other locations.
According to Musa, the:
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Nigerian Air Force
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Nigerian Navy
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Nigerian Army
were simultaneously neutralising multiple terrorist strongholds nationwide.
“As we speak, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Navy and the Army were also neutralising a lot of other areas,” he said.
He added that significant progress has been recorded since January, assuring Nigerians that more results would soon become visible.
The US airstrike followed Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” by former US President Donald Trump, over allegations of religious persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The Nigerian government strongly denied the claim, insisting that its counter-terrorism operations target criminal and extremist groups, not religious communities.
WHAT THIS MEANS
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Confirms the use of high-grade modern warfare technology
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Highlights joint international and local security cooperation
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Reinforces government assurances on ongoing counter-terrorism success
