Security experts are calling for drastic control at the nation’s borders to check unbridled influx of undesirable elements in the light of the recent attribution of the surge in terror in the North West and North East to foreign insurgents.
The Defence Headquarters said on Thursday that the recent spike in terrorist activities was due to the influx of foreign fighters serving as reinforcements for the terrorists.
Outgoing Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Buba Edward, said intelligence had revealed that fighters from the Sahel region are being aided by local accomplices who allegedly serve as informants, reporting on troops’ movements.
A retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Wilson Inalegwu, described the development as troubling.
Speaking to The Nation, Inalegwu said Nigeria must enhance its early warning and response capabilities while also giving attention to proper enlightenment and quick response.
He asked Nigerians to report the presence of suspicious persons to the appropriate authorities.
“The Lake Chad area has witnessed lots of insurgent attacks and poses serious national security threats.
“Nigeria alone can’t deal with this challenge due to the interconnectedness of our peoples and security. We must continue to seek cooperation and coordination with neighboring countries,” he said.
He said the present cold relationship between Nigeria and Niger Republic, Burkina Faso and Mali, all of which have signified their intention to leave the ECOWAS, presents a significant challenge in our regional cooperation with serious repercussions.
He said Nigeria should not relent in improving surveillance, especially through technology, increased personnel and upgrading of border infrastructure as well as sharing intelligence and collaboration with friendly neighboring countries about terrorist activities.
He also said Nigeria should have “enhanced cooperation with regional organisations like ECOWAS to address the transnational nature of this threat”; implement programmes to counter radicalization and reduce the appeal of terrorist groups; and conduct effective military operations including targeted military action against terrorists while prioritising civilian safety and human rights.
A former Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Lawrence Alobi, said terrorism has “become a goldmine in Nigeria because both foreigners and some unscrupulous Nigerians are gaining heavily from it.”
He said the borders should be “effectively fortified and policed through a well-equipped joint operation by the military, police, Immigration and the intelligence agencies which include the DSS, Military Intelligence, Defence Intelligence and the NIA. “
The Federal Government, he added, should deploy advanced technology in securing our borders by acquiring sophisticated CCTVs and Drones in policing the borders.
“Training of all military, the police and other security agencies involved in border security operations should be constantly trained to enhance their operational effectiveness, and all those found culpable in acts of terrorism should be made to face the wrath of the law, and government at all levels should be conscious of their constitutional responsibilities as provided under Section 14 ( b) of the 1999 Nigerian constitution as amended that security and the welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
“All Nigerians should also see it as obligatory to assist and effectively contribute to the promotion of peace and security in their various communities and the country in general as provided under Section 24 (e) of the 1999 Nigerian constitution as amended, which provides that it is the constitutional duty of every citizen to assist lawful security agencies in the maintenance of law and order.”
Dr. Kabiru Adamu said influx of foreign insurgents is not particularly new in the country.
“There is nothing new about the influx of terrorist groups into Nigeria. This started years ago and it is continuing. So I do not see it as the reason why we are seeing a resurgence of things like this,” he told The Nation.
Adamu said: “You need to interrogate this statement. There was an increased military operation by Chad on the fringes of Lake Chad and it dislocated them.
“But this should have been anticipated by the Nigerian military. The moment they saw Chad doing those operations, they should have known that either they would move further into Central Africa or they would move down into West Africa, into Nigeria.
“But for some reason they did not anticipate that and that is where we are.”
Adamu, who is the Managing Director Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, said only by strengthening the capacity and capability of the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigeria Customs Service could Nigeria enhance its border security and prevent criminals from coming into the country.
He said: “Security arrangements have different components and one of them is border protection. We cannot achieve national security without border security.
“And when you look at the security structuring, there are two organisations that are critical to border security, which are the Nigeria Immigration Service and to an extent the Nigeria Customs Service.
“Sadly, over time, these two organisations have been ineffective in securing our borders for a lot of reasons, some of them not their fault, others their fault.
“They are bedeviled by increasing challenges around discipline, welfare, equipment, capacity and capability, and all of that.
“So their ability to provide border security is extremely weakened and that is why our borders remain porous.
“We have to discard this idea of looking at the military as the only security organisation in the country. The military is just one out of our 27 or 29 MDAs that we have that have responsibility for security.
“So we need, especially the National Assembly, to engage in sector specific reform in the security sector to enhance the capacity of all of these 29 organisations, see them as part of a whole, and without them the provisions of section 14, sub-section 2 cannot be achieved.”
Adamu described the size of Nigeria’s borders, the topography and government neglect as other major challenges in securing them.
“The size of our borders is a huge challenge. For example, if you look at the northern fringes from Sokoto all the way to Bungudu, we’re talking of more than 400 or 600 kilometers, and the terrain is difficult.
“In some instances it’s mountainous, in other instances it is sandy and desert terrain. And then if you go to the south, you’re talking of border points that are within the Atlantic Ocean.
“So providing security in such very difficult terrain is almost impossible without enough resources and that I think is a major challenge.
“There are parts of the North and even southern parts of the country, Cross River for example, where one village is in Nigeria and the next village is speaking the same language, and have the same culture. So, it is very difficult really to separate them.
“The economic circumstances in the border communities, especially on the Nigerian side, have been neglected over time. They have not been provided with infrastructure in all ramifications, medical, water, hygiene, generally.
“So what they (the people) do is to support shadow economies, including smuggling, and, of course, smuggling and criminality are like one and two; they always go together.
“You have criminal gangs that will support the smuggling activities so they will sabotage the activities of Nigerian security forces of all kinds once they come into these communities.”
Adamu called for a national action plan for the development of the border communities to enable them have a sense of belonging.
Publisher of Security Digest, Chidi Omeje, agreed with Adamu’ on strengthening the borders to prevent incursion of foreign terrorists, but added that the political instability in the Sahel region has continued to contribute to insecurity in Nigeria.
He said: “The implications of foreign elements coming into our country to prosecute terrorism are very dire. But what comes to mind is the issue of unmanned borders…our borders that are completely unchecked.
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“Nigeria-Niger border stretches thousands of kilometers and mostly unmanned. These borders are characterised by mountainous terrain, forests and desert topography.
“These are areas that are actually very difficult for a particular country like ours to be able to control. So, it’s very easy for these terrorists to seep into our country and join their local collaborators to prosecute terrorism.
“There is also the issue of the mess going on, the geopolitical mess in the Sahel region, that is the political instability in that Sahel region, which has led to coup d’etat in a number of countries, such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Republic.
“These are countries that are actually contiguous to Nigeria. These terrorists will always find an attraction to Nigeria because they see a more prosperous country where they can plunder, where they can ship arms, buy food and stuff, and then escape through borders.
“You have the Lakurawas joining the fray, you have the ISWAP, you have Boko Haram, bandits, you have all manner of them forming terrorist networks. So, this is a dire situation.”
Omeje, however, said that the first step to finding a solution to the problem is for Nigeria to effectively man its borders.
“Maybe technology can be of help here. Maybe there are drones that can help. Maybe cameras that can help to detect when this kind of movement is taking place.
“Then secondly, the issue of political instability in the Sahel region has given rise to about three countries leaving the ECOWAS fold.
“We should allow that to persist. And I’m happy that our government has been in the forefront trying to bring them back to the fold, even though they are proving difficult… it is in the spirit of making sure that the existing National Joint Task Force that was put in place to fight and prosecute war against the terrorists continues to be effective.”
Chibok attacks: Borno govt calls for decisive military action
Reacting to the recent series of attacks by insurgents which claimed five lives and destroyed property in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, the state government called for decisive military action against the perpetrators.
Governor Baba Gana Zulum expressed deep concern over rising of terrorism in Borno South Senatorial District.
The governor spoke at a meeting of the State Security Council in Maiduguri on Friday.
Information and Internal Security Commissioner Usman Tar said yesterday in Maiduguri that the attacks targeted Bamzir, Njilang, Shikarkir, and Yimirmugza villages.
He said five lives were lost, two were injured and 74 households were displaced.
He added: “In addition, five churches, market stalls, and properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed.
“There is a firm grip on the security space by our gallant forces, but some areas require enhanced tactical measures to address existing gaps.
“Chibok is a symbol of resilience and recovery. The terrorists are attempting to derail our progress, but we will not let them succeed,” Tar said.
The commissioner, however, assured residents that the state government was collaborating with security agencies to strengthen military operations, shifting strategies from a defensive to an offensive posture.
He also called for community resilience, urging residents to remain united and resolute in the face of threats.
Tar reiterated Zulum’s administration commitment to the durable solutions outlined in the State Policy on Internal Displacement (2024) and the 25-Year Development Plan (2020), designed to resettle displaced communities and revive economic activities.