The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, says the military has upscaled the use of hard and soft power in counter-insurgency operations to contain the emerging and changing nature of adversaries.

Mr Musa said this while delivering a lecture titled, “Non-Kinetic Operations and the Nigerian Armed Forces,” at the opening of a national security course on “Psychological Operations and Strategic Communication (PSYOPS)” on Monday in Abuja.

The course was organised by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) with the theme, “Winning Hearts and Minds for National Cohesion and Development”.

Represented by Rear Adm. Daupreye Matthew, director of training, Defence Headquarters, the CDS said that the use of non-kinetic efforts under Operation Safe Corridor had led to the surrender of more than 2,000 Boko Haran members between 2016 and 2017.

He said 67 per cent of those who surrendered were of the Abubakar Shekau faction of the insurgents.

Mr Musa added that 1,543 repentant terrorists graduated from Sidi Camp in Gombe State, and 1,935 were released from Bulumkutu camp in Borno between 2016 and 2022.

According to him, from July 2021 to May 4, 2022, alone, no fewer than 51,828 terrorists and their family members surrendered, out of which 13,360 were fighters.

He added that 106,000 terrorists and their family members had so far surrendered in the North-East.

The defence chief, however, called for assessment and content analysis of the security policies and legal and operational frameworks.

He also called for the upscaling of government support, including developing and implanting vetting systems, as well as capacity building for government service providers and direct assistance to transitional facilities working with low-risk individuals.

He further advocated individual case management and referral services as well as community-based peace-building, reconciliation and reintegration.

Earlier, the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye said that the five-day programme was to boost security experts’ understanding of the dynamics of psychological operations and strategic communication.

Mr Undiandeye described psychological operation and strategic communication as an integral element of modern warfare but were widely neglected by communication science despite their importance.

According to him, it is now used not only to manipulate an enemy’s will to fight but also to influence public opinion.

He said the employment of strategic communication influences operations and non-kinetic tools to win hearts and minds and enhance national security and cohesion.

”Suffice to say, that the importance of PSYOPS as an instrument of statecraft, governance and national security cannot be over-emphasised.

”The Agency is more intentional about the benefits of the application of PSYOPS instruments which include the use of soft power in the attainment of national security objectives.

”I am fully aware that the distinguished participants of this course were drawn from the various federal and state MDAs, including the Armed Forces, police, other sister intelligence and security agencies, as well as the media,” he said.

The CDI said the course intended to reconnect with communities and enlighten them on the importance of lawful conduct against the activities of criminals, insurgents, and other deviants.

He said there was a need for the government to harmonise processes and procedures for collaboration with communities, which are most impacted by security challenges.

(NAN)