Musa highlights community partnership, active citizenship as DSS-backed school project promotes inclusion, tackles roots of banditry and extremism

The Minister of Defence, General. Christopher Musa (rtd), has  described quality education, active citizenship, and stronger collaboration between communities and security agencies as critical to defeating banditry, terrorism, and other security threats confronting Nigeria.

The Minister spoken  during the commissioning of Kaduna Christian Academy, a faith-based institution donated to the Christian community in Kaduna by the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, and his associates.

The event comes barely a year after a similar school was donated to the Muslim community in Danbushiya, Chikun Local Government Area, in what organizers said reflects a deliberate effort to promote inclusiveness, education, and peaceful coexistence across the state.

General. Musa further explained that the academy as a strategic non-kinetic intervention aimed at addressing the root causes of insecurity. He stressed that national security extends beyond military operations and intelligence gathering.

“When we speak of national defence, the instinct is to focus on boots on the ground, air power, or intelligence gathering,” he said. “However, true and lasting security is anchored in one critical element: the defeat of ignorance and the conquest of hopelessness. This school is a weapon of mass instruction in the right hands.”

The Defence Minister commended the DSS for expanding its mandate beyond conventional security operations through community-focused development initiatives. He argued that an educated population forms a stronger defence against extremism, criminality, and social instability.

“Insecurity thrives where opportunities are limited,” Musa said. “Investment in education is one of the most effective strategies for preventing the recruitment of young people into criminal and terrorist networks.”

He also urged citizens to support security agencies with credible and timely intelligence, warning that bandits and terrorists often rely on local collaborators for information and logistics.

“Security agencies alone cannot defeat these criminal elements. If we keep quiet, they will continue to destroy us. But if we speak out, they will not have any space to survive,” he stated.

Musa lauded Governor Uba Sani for promoting inclusion, development, and peaceful coexistence in Kaduna, noting that collaboration between federal and state authorities, alongside local communities, had yielded measurable progress in security and governance. He also praised the resilience of the people of Southern Kaduna and urged them to resist divisive tendencies that could undermine peace and unity.

Kaduna state Governor  Mallam Uba Sani represented by  Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. James Kanyip, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to expanding access to quality education. He described education as a powerful driver of human capital development and social transformation.

“Education remains one of the most powerful tools for personal, human capital, and social development,” Kanyip said. “Every classroom built creates opportunity for learning. Every child educated strengthens our communities. And every investment in education contributes to a more prosperous future for our state and the nation.”

He noted that the commissioning of the academy symbolized hope, opportunity, and a collective commitment to investing in the future of children.

“Today, we are not merely opening a new building. We are celebrating hope, opportunity, and transformation,” he added.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Northern Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the 19 Northern States and the FCT, Reverend. John Joseph Hayab, said the project was facilitated by the DSS Director-General in recognition of education as one of the most effective tools for combating insecurity, poverty, and other social challenges.

“Today is more than the opening of a school building. Today is the opening of doors to opportunity, doors to knowledge, doors to growth, and a brighter future for our children,” Hayab said.

He acknowledged that many communities still face barriers to quality education due to inadequate infrastructure, shortage of learning materials, and economic hardship. According to him, Kaduna Christian Academy was established not only to provide academic excellence but also to instill discipline, character, leadership, faith, and compassion in young learners.

Also speaking, Malam Musa Suleiman of Tantita Security Services Limited, who represented the DSS Director-General, reiterated that education remains one of the most potent instruments for addressing the underlying causes of insecurity and building a peaceful society.

The commissioning adds to a growing list of community-focused interventions linked to the DSS under Mr. Ajayi’s leadership, aimed at complementing kinetic security operations with development initiatives targeting education and social cohesion.