‘Governors Should Give Low-Capacity Motorcycles As Palliatives’ – Defence Minister

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd), has said Governors should consider providing low-capacity motorcycles if they must distribute them as palliatives, noting that this would reduce the advantage terrorists could gain from them.

Naija News reports that Musa made this known on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, while speaking about improved security under President Bola Tinubu, with terrorist attacks becoming less frequent.

The Minister said motorcycles distributed through constituency projects and other palliative programmes by lawmakers and the state government could find their way back to bandits and terrorists who use them for their nefarious activities.

According to Musa, security agencies had identified illegal markets and motor parks as channels through which terrorists move arms and ammunition into areas where they operate.

He said, “We try to appeal to any governor to stop giving out motorcycles as palliatives because these motorcycles are still the same ones that will end up with these terrorists. and that’s what they’re using. So we must stop that.

“Even if you are to give, don’t give them the big capacity motorcycles, give them the small capacity ones that they won’t be able to use to run around because that gives them leverage. They can easily enter anywhere and then disappear at the same time.

“What we realise from experience is they establish illegal markets or illicit motor parks. They go to those motor parks; that’s where they move arms and ammunition into those areas.”