The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), has called for the reintroduction of modernised, technology-driven tollgates on major highways across Nigeria, describing them as critical infrastructure for tracking criminal activities and enhancing national security.
Musa made the call while participating as a panellist at the Abuja Round Table, tagged “Promise to Proof: The Renewed Hope Conversation,” during a session on “Safe to Farm, Travel and Trade: Protecting Lives and Livelihoods in Every Community.”
In a statement issued on October 7, 2026, by his Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, the minister described the removal and destruction of tollgates across the country as a strategic mistake.
He argued that modern tollgates could serve as security checkpoints, leveraging Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and automation to monitor vehicular movements and identify criminal suspects.
According to him, automated tolling systems could capture vehicle registration numbers, track movements across interstate corridors and assist security agencies in tracing and apprehending suspects without requiring cash transactions.
Although tollgates were previously associated with operational abuses, Musa maintained that modern technological integration could eliminate such vulnerabilities and transform them into effective non-kinetic security infrastructure.
The minister also stressed the need for a streamlined and reliable national identification system, noting that integrating unique identification numbers, facial recognition and biometric data would help eliminate identity ambiguity and strengthen intelligence gathering.
He said a comprehensive, centralised digital identification architecture would close existing security loopholes and improve real-time information sharing across the country.
On military deployment, Musa explained that the Armed Forces of Nigeria were constitutionally mandated to defend the country’s territorial integrity but could support internal security operations when challenges exceeded the capacity of the police.
However, he expressed concern over the prolonged deployment of military personnel for internal security duties, which he said had resulted in fatigue among troops.
He noted that soldiers had spent years operating across regions, particularly the North-West, away from their families and loved ones.
The minister said efforts were underway to strengthen police recruitment, training and operational capacity to enable the military to gradually withdraw from internal security operations and return to its primary responsibilities.
He added that the government was working towards shifting the country’s security architecture from reactive responses to proactive measures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Musa identified national unity as Nigeria’s greatest strength, insisting that the country’s security challenges were driven not merely by inadequate resources or firepower but also by internal divisions and a lack of cohesion among citizens.
He urged Nigerians to overcome historical grievances and reject ethnic, regional and religious divisions.
“We must begin to view one another simply as human beings and fellow citizens, rather than dividing ourselves along ethnic, regional, or religious lines,” he said.
The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment under the Renewed Hope Agenda to ensuring that Nigerians could safely farm, travel and conduct business across communities nationwide.
