The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has blamed Nigeria’s rising insecurity on the breakdown of family values, urging parents and communities to rebuild strong homes to tackle the root causes of crime and violence.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2025 edition of Exercise Haske Biyu at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) in Jaji, Kaduna, on Thursday, General Musa emphasized that many of the security challenges confronting Nigeria are rooted in the collapse of family systems.
According to him, the family is the foundation of every society, and without strong homes built on discipline, respect, and love, it becomes difficult to produce responsible citizens.
“The family is the bedrock of every community. Without the family, there can’t be a good community,” Musa said. “What we have realised is that because the family system is failing, insecurity is growing. This means if we address the family issues, insecurity will go down.”
The Exercise Haske Biyu, which brought together participants from Nigeria and other countries, focused on the role of family values, civic responsibility, and moral strength in combating insecurity. The programme aims to help military personnel and civilians alike understand how moral decay in the home can translate into widespread unrest in society.
General Musa pointed out that a return to traditional values could help reduce the number of youths turning to crime, banditry, and terrorism. He added that parents must take responsibility in guiding their children and teaching them right from wrong.
“Our families must instil discipline, respect, and love in our children. These are the things that shape responsible citizens. If we lose that, then we will continue to face problems no matter how much security forces do,” he said.
Nigeria has struggled with multiple security challenges in recent years, including terrorism in the North-East, banditry and kidnapping in the North-West, farmer-herder clashes in the Middle Belt, and separatist agitations in the South-East. While the military continues to battle these threats, there has been growing discussion about the social and economic roots of insecurity.
The Defence Chief urged community leaders, religious bodies, and schools to also play a part in shaping the younger generation, saying security is not the job of the military alone.
“Security is everyone’s business,” he said. “We need to work together – the family, the community, and the government – to secure our future.”
