The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, has cautioned against Nigeria’s reliance on external security data, insisting that the country’s military provides the most accurate counterterrorism reports.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday on the 2025 Global Terrorism Index released on March 5, Kangye said only the Nigerian military can produce authentic assessments of the nation’s security situation.
The index ranked Nigeria sixth globally with a score of 7.658, an increase from its eighth position in 2023 and 2024. It also recorded 565 terrorism-related deaths in 2024.
However, Kangye questioned the credibility of foreign assessments, arguing that internal sources are more reliable.
“Something is happening in my house. I am the head of the house. I have children, I have a wife, and then Kuma Shi (someone else) is reporting what is happening in my house to me.
“Which one would be more correct? The one I tell you as the head of the house or the one Kuma Shi is reporting from outside?.
“I’m not countering what they put out there, but as observers, you should be the ones to give the correct version of what is happening in Nigeria” he noted.
Kangye also addressed the ongoing security challenges in the South East, where fear continues to enforce the sit-at-home order imposed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
He reassured that the military remains committed to restoring normalcy in the region through Operation Udo Ka, an initiative similar to Operation Hadin Kai in the North East.
“Who gave the order? IPOB/ESN criminals. Because of what was happening in the South East, Operation Udo Ka was set up—just like Operation Hadin Kai in the North East.
“The past three commanders in the region have been doing very well. They continue to encourage people to go about their normal business, but in some areas, locals stay home out of fear of being attacked. The commanders are working hard to free the South East from IPOB/ESN influence,” he said.
