Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), has warned state governors against distributing motorcycles as palliatives, saying the vehicles could be diverted to terrorists and exploited to strengthen their operations.

Musa raised the alarm during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he said motorcycles distributed through government empowerment programmes could inadvertently give terrorists greater mobility, particularly in remote and difficult-to-access areas.

The Defence Minister urged governors to reconsider the policy, warning that high-capacity motorcycles could provide criminal and terrorist groups with the speed and flexibility needed to penetrate communities and evade security forces.

“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,” Musa said.

He advised governments that still intend to distribute motorcycles to consider smaller-capacity models, which he said would be less useful to terrorists.

“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,” he added.

According to the minister, terrorists can exploit motorcycles to move rapidly through difficult terrain, attack isolated communities and withdraw before security forces arrive.

Musa’s warning came as he assessed Nigeria’s broader security situation, insisting that the country had recorded significant progress under President Bola Tinubu.

He said attacks by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) had reduced compared with previous years, attributing the development to sustained military pressure on terrorist groups.

The minister explained that intensified military operations had forced some terrorists to shift from large-scale attacks towards kidnapping and abduction, which he described as a relatively easier means of raising funds.

“The trajectory is this, from criminality to kidnapping to terrorism, insurgency; once you are able to hit them it goes back downwards and so we are now back into the stage of abductions and kidnappings because that is the easiest way for them to try and raise money,” he said.

Musa also disclosed that troops were increasingly penetrating terrorist enclaves and rescuing victims held captive by the groups, stressing that military operations would continue until the threats were significantly degraded.

He, however, identified weak local government administration as another factor contributing to insecurity, calling for stronger and more effective local councils capable of responding to the needs and security concerns of communities.

The Defence Minister said improving governance at the grassroots level remained critical to addressing the conditions that allow criminality and terrorism to thrive.