Insecurity: No. Military, Security Agencies Haven’t Failed!
By Fatima Ali Busuguma
The teething challenge of insecurity is one that has been confronting Nigeria, for some time now. The country appears to be on siege. Terrorists, armed bandits, kidnappers and hordes of other criminals have been unrelenting.
From the North East to North West, down to South South and not forgetting the South East, the aforementioned criminals have perpetrated gruesome havoc. They have, and are still unleashing mayhem on harmless citizens.
Thousands of innocent Nigerians are victims of terror attacks orchestrated by Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, insurgents. In the North West and Central, farming activities are at their lowest ebb, no thanks to marauding bandits, who abduct and even kill residents of Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Niger and Kaduna States.
Other parts of the country, most especially States in the South East region have not known peace ever since terrorists of the dreaded Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, declared war against the federal government, and security forces.
Indeed, no one will fail to admit that the country’s insecurity conundrum, at a point, overwhelmed the officers and men of Nigerian Police, military and other sister security agencies. But it will be the height of mischief to assert that our security agencies have ‘absolutely’ failed, with regards to tackling Nigeria’s security dilemma.
Insecurity, no doubt, is far from being addressed in Nigeria. It is something that our security institutions and their leadership have shown commitment to address, however.
For sure, terrorist elements and other criminal gangs in the country have persisted in masterminding violent attacks. But security agencies in the country, particularly the Nigerian military, have gallantly helped to protect Nigeria’s territorial integrity from armed local groups and secessionist agitators.
Under the leadership of Gen. Leo Irabor as the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, the Nigerian military has become reinvigorated and robustly poised to discharge its constitutional mandates. Within just two years after Gen. Irabor became Nigeria’s Defence Chief the security situation in the North East and South East has greatly improved.
Overwhelmed by the superior firepower of troops, insurgents of both the Boko Haram and ISWAP sects have fled many Borno local governments and areas, which were under their control and which they had declared caliphates.
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Owing to the firm and resolute approach of the Nigerian military and the security services, terrorist activities have been drastically reduced across the vast landscape of the North East. The aerial interdictions of military fighter jets have also leveled the forest camps and enclaves of many insurgent gangs.
By the way, thousands of IDPs have been returned to their ancestral homes in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. And this was only made possible following successful clearance operations carried out by troops, in the last two years.
As part of entrenching lasting peace in the troubled North East communities, the military also ensured that the non-kinetic approach of fighting terrorism by the Nigerian Armed Forces was intensified with collaboration of other security agencies, and the locals.
As part of finding a workable solution to Nigeria’s security challenge, the CDS has equally convened strategic intelligence and security workshops/summits, which attracted key stakeholders in the country’s defence and security industry.
Meanwhile, the military hierarchy has also accorded priority attention to issues bothering on gender policy for Armed forces, among other things, while also forging collaboration between other nation’s Armed forces and Nigerian Armed forces.
At a time officers and men of other security agencies are dragging the name of their institutions in the mud by engaging in acts of unprofessionalism, Gen Irabor has steadfastly continued to nurture a Nigerian Armed Forces committed to the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities professionally and diligently.
The Heads of security organisations may still be trying to fix the country’s security crisis. But they deserve plaudits for the massive neutralization of terrorists, bandits and other criminals by their troops.
They should be given a pat on the back for the successful arrest of thousands of criminal elements by their troops, already. It shows that Irabor, Army Chief Lt. Gen. Faruq Yahaya; Naval Chief, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Gen Samuel Adrbayo; IGP Usman Alkali-Baba and the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi are not slumbering while Nigeria’s insecurity festers.
But have they hit the jackpot? No one will respond in the affirmative, especially that the war against enemies of the Nigerian State is ongoing. So, why should anyone blatantly conclude that they have failed?
*Fatima Ali Busuguma is a serving Corps Member with PRNigeria in Abuja*
