The country is faced with a rising spate of insecurity that seems insurmountable but, if we juxtapose this insecurity with the reality that the Nigerian Army is known for its proficiency and deep professionalism internationally, then our myopic judgement and classification of the military may be wrong after all. The question we should be asking is, are there obstacle in the path to the progress of our fighting soldiers? And, if there are, how can we identify them and promptly remove them so that the military might quickly crush Boko Haram and the bandits before they expand more into other ares of the country? A critical assessment of the insecurity in the country brings to the fore many covered problems in the government (armed forces inclusive) and the general public.
No war is won only by foot soldiers or with machinery or artillery. There is much more to conquering well-equipped and religious dogma-motivated terrorist gangs like the Boko Haram, ISIS and the bandits that are hell-bent on enforcing Islamic government in the country. It is well over a decade, and it does not look as if the country has achieved any military successes despite consistent announcements from the government and the military of decimation of these terrorists. Is it not high time we thoroughly re-evaluated war strategies, instead of running round in circles? A Nigeria lnfo radio jingle says, “We must not mix politics with security.”
Venturing to mix politics as it it practised in Nigeria with security will spell doom for the country. It is becoming very clear that Nigerian politicians made inroads into security merely for selfish gains and to help weaken and torpedo security strategies. There is evidence that some politicians do not love the country but rather their pockets. There are also the same reports of “Judases” in the security environment who interfere with security reports and war strategies just for selfish purposes. How can a true Nigerian soldier be responsible for supplying arms and ammunition to terrorists that have sworn to kill his colleagues? What gain would a trained soldier derive seeing his colleagues fall in the battle front after to the information he leaked to the enemy of his country, like the “Judas” that was responsible for the attack on the military base in Kaduna, Police Training College, Gwoza, and many others? There was also the killing of policemen on duty to arrest a notorious kidnapper in Taraba State.
On their part, these terrorist gangs are multiplying like soldier ants, studying the situation in the country, according to a recently released kidnapped victim, “These bandits listen to radio and assess the gravity and impact of every of their attacks, based on feed backs on radio.”
Indeed, the bandits and Boko Haram are known to have been upgrading their game plans and strategies since the war began in 2008.
They started by attacking marketplaces to replenish their food stock and also attacked military and police stations for more arms and armumition. Unfortunately, when their leaders are in the hands of Nigerian military, they reach out for negotiation for exchange of kidnapped victims. Thrice had such requests been made but the government and the security agencies usually kept the people in the dark of any behind-the-scenes negotiations, if any. The recent demand by the bandits on the government does not show enough transparency on what is happening around and behind the war zone. The war is a Nigerian war and Nigerians should be carried along with every information on happenings around the war theatre. After all,it is the people that eventually get displaced while the war rages and they become “internally displaced people” (IDP), not the government. When a train is attacked and passengers killed, the people bear the brunt, not the government. War affects and decimates the population, of the people, not the government. These is why the people need to be adequately informed of what is happening around the war zone, instead of fabricated information. Such information helps the people to be better appreciative and also positions them better for safety purposes and planning of their daily activities. For instance, the recent disclosure by Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiir El-Rufai, that Boko Haram and the bandits are already congregating in one of the vast forests in Kaduna, has helped the people of the state to be aware and to be conscious of their movements because the next operational move of these terrorists could be to carry out pockets of attacks on marketplaces or villages to instil fear or embark on the kidnap of groups or prominent individuals in the state. In fact, questions are being asked if the governor had earlier informed security agencies before spewing out the information. If that was not the case, then it leaves people to wonder if there is any coordination between the states and federal government and its security agencies. With such noticeable disunity, it becomes apparent that these terrorists plan ahead only for the government to later pack the debris of every of their attacks, instead of being proactive operationally. We cannot win this terror war if we are not proactive. One would have expected a massive military operation in and around these forests hosting these terrorists by turning their day into darkness. This is the only way to end the upgrading propensity of these terrorists that are inching once more towards the Federal Capital Territory.
(Concluded)
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Mystery of a lifesaver (1)
I had been contemplating writing about his personality for a long time. Many see him as a mystery. He shows uncommon care for human beings, not considering their ethnic or religious affiliation, yet he is a Muslim but sings Christian songs with no hinderance.
The milk of human kindness that flows out of him is limitless. He has saved and restored hope to millions of Nigerians and foreigners alike. Once, he sold his only jeep just to save the life of a Christian lady in the hospital for surgery and went home in a hired cab. His uncountable philanthropic gestures are unequaled in the Nigeria.
His ability to raise millions of naira on radio to solve people’s problems is unprecedented. He is loved by the masses and disliked by a few powerful elite whom he has innocently angered. These elite, apparently dislike his position against oppression of the poor and injustice at every level of the society, including security personnel.
His name is Ahmed Isah. He is popularly referred to as “Ordinary Ahmed” or “Ordinary President.”
In fact he is the owner of Human Rights Radio station, based in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, where he presents a four-hour magazine, “The Brekete Family reality show morning programme. Recently, he was invited for questioning by the Department of State Security (DSS).
(To be continued)
