Public affairs analyst, Mahdi Shehu, has criticised Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, over his renewed call for the construction of a physical border wall to curb terrorism and cross-border crimes.
Reacting in a post shared on X on Friday, Shehu argued that Nigeria’s survival does not depend on concrete barriers but on justice, equity, and good governance.
“Only the invisible wall of justice and equity can save Nigeria from disintegration,” Shehu wrote.
He described the minister’s proposal as outdated and disconnected from modern security realities, insisting that advocating physical border walls shows a poor grasp of history, geography, and contemporary warfare.
“For the defence minister to begin advocating physical concrete walls across Nigeria’s borders as a solution to insecurity means he is a poor student of history, geography and modern warfare,” Shehu stated.
The analyst cited historical examples of border walls that failed to provide lasting security, including the Berlin Wall, the Great Wall of China, and the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, noting that none ultimately prevented conflict or collapse.
Shehu also questioned the practicality of such a project, given Nigeria’s vast and porous borders and the instability facing some neighbouring countries.
“It shows he does not appreciate the difficulty of erecting physical walls with porous borders and neighbouring countries grappling with their own internal challenges,” he said.
According to Shehu, modern warfare has moved beyond physical barriers, with technology, intelligence gathering, and digital surveillance now playing a dominant role.
He further criticised the proposal as potentially self-serving, suggesting that the push for border walls may be driven by the huge budget such a project would attract.
“It means he is unaware of how science and technology have taken over warfare and that digital warfare is now the in-thing. He needs a refresher course in modern war techniques from the comfort of a command centre,” Shehu wrote.
He added pointedly, “It seems he is only after the huge budget for the construction contract and what comes out of the said budget.”
The Defence Minister had earlier reaffirmed his belief that constructing border walls would help prevent terrorists and bandits from infiltrating Nigeria through neighbouring countries.
