Insecurity: Fighting the terror without sparing rods
The heightening of security threats have been a bane and a thorn in the flesh of the Nigerian government most recently. The troubling state of the strings have grown to become an albatross producing strings of waving storms bewildering the Country. The consequential effects of the off-shooting arms of the ravages against the economy and socio-political formations have been largely undesirable. The rising of bandits’ escapades which most recently has constituted another stormy wind of insecurity in the Country have generated strings of circumstances which on records of observation have been generating acute disturbances, debilitating the working fabrics of socio-economic and political formations.
The apparent character of the Government appearing to be seemingly handicapped in addressing the security challenges in the Country, have found stronger grounds of justification by critical observers, particularly with the moves by government authorities to negotiate with bandits and terror groups. The rampaging escapades of insurgents most recently have compounded to heightened level of forcefulness with increase in attack profile. The touching effects have been bearing ravaging impacts on the North and in extension, the entire Country. The menace have in recent times constituted pulling strings which have compounded with variants of other forms of security challenges. It is currently apparent that bandits are now gradually moving out of the cage of defense to the fore front of offence. Growing as a recalcitrant albatross, banditry, adding to the evil estate of terrorism in Nigeria, has grown with its hydra-headed strings of discomfort in the Country. As the Nigerian military, erstwhile known for its gallantry observed in peace keeping missions across Africa, continue to suffer embarrassment before the entanglements of banditry and terror in the Country, the subjects emanating from such paradox appear to be of a chagrin emanating from disconfiguration of sincere structures to wipe off the tentacles of insecurity mayhem in the Country.
It would be recalled that in August, an attack by bandits on the Kaduna campus of Nigeria’s foremost military university, the Nigerian Defence Academy, where two military officers were killed and another kidnapped, had left unsavoury narratives behind, joining the lists of the nauseating and embarrassing onslaughts on the Military. Reactions which trailed the ugly development had centered on the subject of prominent Nigerians sponsoring terrorism and the twin case of the infiltration of the military by terror spies.
More recently, it was over the weekend reported that bandits again allegedly attacked a joint military base, code named “Burkusuma camp” in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto state, killing no less than 15. Report had shown that the attack which took place at the base located at Dama village of Sabon Birni Local Government, was launched at the early hours of last Friday. The bandits who reportedly came in large number, surrounded the camp and started firing from different directions. It was reported that following the attack, many security operatives in the camp were still missing, as patrol vehicles were set on fire.
Outstanding issues which continue to generate reactions over the failure of security forces – the military in particular – to crumble the hold of terrorism and banditry remain a course for concern. Issues relating to the sponsorship of terrorism in the Country have remained a topical subject which intelligence has shown to be a force of impetus driving the extension of the reign of terror in the Country. The calls to name the alleged sponsors of terrorism some of whom have been said to be arrested have continued to reverberate. The ill-disposed posture of the Government to honour the call has remained a subject of debate, particularly as argument has been raised on why the Government would choose to be cold on making public the identified sponsors, while it never hesitated nor had a slack posture before proscribing the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terror group while hunting after such self independent fighters as Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly tagged “Igboho” and his Nnamdi Kanu counterpart. Other outstanding issues such as the infiltration of the military architecture by spies of terror groups and banditry has remained a huge drawback and a frustrating rod against the efforts of the military. The incursion have apparently brought the hitherto known gallant Nigerian military to its kneels before nauseating circumstances. Other subjects which remain on the ladder of concern hold bearing to poor state of military hardware, poor intelligence system and poor condition of service for military forces at the fore-front of the war.
The need for the Government to come to terms with the need to address the outstanding issues which hold strong bearing to addressing the poor performance of the military in dismantling the claws of insecurity in the Country has become sacrosanct. Coordinating efforts towards this end as an emergency through firm measures fortified by pragmatic interface of creative strategies that incorporate the necessity to break off the network of terror sponsorship; addressing the need to sanitise the military to get it rid off spies culpable of exposing military strategies; strengthening the base of military arsenals; redefining strategies of operation with robust intelligence base; and enhancing the welfare conditions for military personnel, have become sacrosanct. Changing the narratives of the wobbling impacts of insecurity in the Country is non negotiable. It has therefore become sacrosanct that efforts towards this end be treated with all emergency, sincerity, and pragmatism, devoid of sentiments, sparing of rods and preservation of sacred cows culpable of sponsoring ills in the Country, regardless of their class.
