As is the case with collation and use of statistics in Nigeria, no one really knows how many soldiers and civilians have lost their lives in the terrorism war in the country. In the North West, North East and North Central, the war against terrorism and banditry has been on for more than a decade, and things are seemingly not getting better. A lot has been said about government’s preparedness to combat the evil, as men and materials are inadequate.
One sector that has borne the brunt mostly is the Nigerian Armed Forces whose officers and men were engaged officially by the state for a time like this, especially in the case of external aggression. However, when it became apparent that the police could not contain the insurgency in the North East, soldiers were brought out of the barracks and there has been no let since then.
Some retired Generals have now called on the Federal Government to take decisive measures to end the war of attrition. In view of an unofficial figure of 714 soldiers killed on the battle field, or some in their bases, the retired Generals have pointed out that what is needed is getting advanced technology and weapons that would locate, smoke out and neutralise the enemies of state that have cost us so much in men and materials.
Coming from Generals who have fought in the war and saw their comrades and subordinates pay the ultimate price, their observations should be taken seriously. It calls to question the adequacy of the steps taken by the Federal Government so far despite the trillions of Naira already appropriated to combat insecurity. There should be an audit of what is available, what was purchased under this administration and how they have been deployed. There have been cases of Brigade Commanders and other senior military officers apprehended for diverting funds meant to prosecute the war to personal purpose. Are there others who engaged in similar nefarious activities? Military authorities should cast the net wide in identifying such criminal activities. As the Generals pointed out, an asymmetrical war like we are fighting in Nigeria can only be won on the intelligence plane. There are so many intelligence agencies and arms of the armed forces that ought to work together to guide the fighting forces. There are suggestions that the agencies are not working in harmony, otherwise, how could the fact that terrorists continue to abduct and keep victims for months be explained? So much is expected of the Department of State Services and the National Intelligence Agency, in particular, but so little seems to be coming from them.
Besides, every security outfit in the country has an intelligence arm – the Army, Navy, Air force, Police, Customs and Immigration, among others, have trained intelligence officers, the question is how well coordinated are they?
The Chief of Defence Staff, National Security Adviser to the Commander-in-Chief and the Minister of Defence who is also a retired General must sit up to rid the country of this menace. Many times, President Muhammadu Buhari, at whose desk the buck stops, has promised the war would end before he hands over to the next President, but very little progress has been made. It would appear the agents of terror operate at will, kill, raze down buildings and disappear into thin air. It is surprising that the locations of these terrorists are well known to the security forces, yet, little is being achieved. People like Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, and delegations of the Northern Elders Forum have met with the criminals many times. State governments have held meetings with some of their leaders and the Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai say the government has been able to monitor their movements over time. Yet, not much has been achieved by the Nigeria Air Force and the special forces of the Nigerian Army whose duty it is to conclude the task.
If more than 700 soldiers were killed within 18 months, we expect the government to take the matter more seriously. The message is to flush out the bandits and insurgents who are said to have linked up to wage war against Nigeria. Soldiers who signed up to defend our territorial integrity should not be surrendered willy-nilly to a band of terrorists. They too deserve to be protected by the state. If those at the apex of coordinating response by the military are found wanting, they should be relieved of their duties, but that might not be enough.
There must be a game changer in this war. It should not continue to serve as perennial threat to the peace, unity and health of Nigeria. For the umpteenth time we remind the government that its primary purpose is to guarantee the welfare and security of the citizenry. Where this is absent, patriotism and nationalism will naturally take flight at the expense of nationhood. It is time the government mobilised all human and material resources, including the support of retired service chiefs and Generals to complete this all-important project.