Nigeria’s Military and Quest for Ending Insecurity

Nigeria’s Military and Quest for Ending Insecurity

By MUKHTAR Ya’u Madobi

For over a decade now, Nigeria has grappled with a myriad of insecurity, making it difficult for her to achieve overall national development. However, the country’s security agencies are not resting on their oars, in tackling the security threats bedeviling the nation.

Specifically, the Armed Forces of Nigeria, AFN, comprising the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, have been at the forefront of prosecuting the counter-terrorism war against Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, among other criminal elements.

Their relentless efforts are being complemented by other sister security agencies including Police, DSS, and Civil Defence, thereby forging a robust synergy which serves as a veritable tool in winning the fight against evil forces.

As a result, a considerable level of successes have been recorded by the military since the terrorists launched their vicious attack against the Nigerian government and the citizens for over a decade especially in BAY (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe) states of Northeastern Nigeria.

It is gratifying to learn that the Nigerian Army had on Friday inducted 654 fresh personnel into the services of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, AFN. These battle-ready troops of ‘Exercise Restore Hope V’, were commissioned at the Nigeria Army training Center Kachia, Kaduna State.

They are expected to complement the existing efforts of the military troops in containing the activities of criminals including bandits, kidnappers, insurgents, terrorists, ethnic militias etc. who are wreaking havoc across the length and breadth of the country.

While delivering his speech, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen Taoreed Lagbaja has read a riot act to the criminal elements in the country to either lay down their arms or be eliminated with effect immediately.

COAS Lagbaja explained that the essence of the training was to make the troops better equipped in confronting the security challenges in the country. He added that it was part of efforts of the Nigerian army to close observed gaps in its operations.

Furthermore, he charged the troops to justify the huge investment made on them by stamping out the security challenges in their various areas of deployment across the country.

PRNigeria gathered that training, code-named ‘Exercise Restore Hope V’ is an advanced infantry cum special forces training designed to further enhance the capability of young soldiers. It is to adapt personnel who freshly passed out of Depot Nigerian Army to the challenges posed by the ever-changing nature of threats within Nigeria’s security environment.

It is pertinent to assert that this recent development is in tandem with the leadership vision of the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Christopher Gwabin Musa of consolidating the military efforts in rising against the threats posed by non-state actors in the country.

The Defence Chief had already charged the troops to take the fight to the door steps of the criminals and equally eliminate them.

General Musa spoke to troops of Operation Hadin Kai at the Maimalari cantonment, Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, on Tuesday, October 10th, 2023.

“Don’t just come and sleep in the theatre, make sure you look for Boko Haram and kill. Anybody who comes to the theatre and finishes without killing one Boko Haram is not complete.” he said.

Subsequently, the personnel walked the talk of General Musa as terrorists continued receiving bloody noses from the frontline troops.

On October 20, PRNigeria quoted the military high command saying that the Troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces have neutralized 37 terrorists and arrested 95 others in the last one week. The troops have also arrested 19 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 53 kidnapped hostages during the sting operation.

It is clear that these successes being recorded by troops indicate that the military is winning the war against terrorism and insurgency.

With the military moving at this trajectory, it is just a matter of time before respite comes the way of Nigerians from the security challenges bedeviling the country.

MUKHTAR is the author of a book on “National Security Strategy” and is a staff writer with the Emergency Digest.