Disturbed by the alarming rates of terrorism and banditry in Nigeria, a former Chief of Army Staff and Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma (Retd), charged Service Chiefs to put an end to the problem and immediately return the country to the path of peace. Danjuma, who spoke at a book launch in Abuja recently, decried the abductions and killings in the country. He lamented, “Number one problem today is security. We must end the pandemic and stop the killings that are going on in our country as soon as possible. Those of you who are still serving have no excuses. Absolutely no!”
Danjuma is not the first person to have said this. But being a retired General and former army chief, his statement carries more weight and strengthens what we and other well-meaning Nigerians had advised in the recent past.
Almost on a daily basis, Nigerians are inundated with stories of exploits of bandits and terrorists in some parts of the country. Thousands of people have either been kidnapped or killed. Millions of others have been rendered homeless. Statistics from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) estimated that over 4,556 fatalities and 7,086 abductions occurred between May 29, 2023 and May 22, 2024.
In some Northern states, bandits force communities to pay tax to them. In June, residents of Torough community in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, had to sell their farm produce to raise N20m tax some bandits slammed on them. Those who fail to pay this illegal compulsory tax are usually terrorized, sometimes killed and their properties destroyed.
In all this, our security forces appear handicapped. Though they do their best to fight back, they encounter stumbling blocks along the way. It is either that they are not well equipped or that some fifth columnists in their midst sabotage their efforts.
Besides, the security personnel are more reactive than proactive. They only come in when the deed is already done, and in some cases, they fail to make any tangible breakthrough until ransom is paid. On a few occasions when they took proactive steps, they achieved tangible results. A good example was the recent killing of wanted bandit leader, Halilu Sububu, in Zamfara State. The combined troops of sector one, Northwest Operation Hadarin Daji, reportedly killed Sububu alongside his 50 fighters in a coordinated operation.
Good intelligence network must have played a significant role in neutralizing Sububu. If our security agencies could collaborate and share intelligence, there is no way they will not be able to smoke out bandits or terrorists in their hideouts and deal with them decisively. A surprised attack against bandits will cripple them and significantly solve the problem of insecurity in the country.
It is inconceivable that a ragtag band of bandits will hold our country to ransom for this long. Government should have monopoly of the instruments of violence and warfare. A country is doomed when non-state actors also have access to sophisticated weapons and other instruments of destruction.
As Danjuma noted, there should be no room for excuses. Our security agents should take the war to the bandits and terrorists and end the menace once and for all. There is need to deploy adequate technology such as drones, as the war has gone beyond cock and shoot.
There is also the need for our government to get serious with the issue of state or community policing. The locals know the route and hideout of bandits more than anyone else. Many prominent Nigerians had canvassed for state police, but the central government appears not ready for it now.
In unconventional warfare, there is need for strong intelligence network among the security agencies. A strong intelligence will detect saboteurs in the military and take them out before they do more harm to the efforts of patriotic security personnel.
Soldiers had complained about inadequate mobilization. Government should give them adequate incentives to enable them to rout the bandits and terrorists in our midst. It is dangerous to allow this spate of insecurity to fester. Investors, for instance, cannot come in this state of affairs. And the country will be the worst for it.
It is pertinent to note that the Nigerian military has over 230,000 active personnel, said to be the fourth most powerful military in Africa. If it means recruiting more soldiers and giving them more incentives to prosecute the war against terrorism, then we should do so. All the critical stakeholders should be involved in the efforts to tackle insecurity. The country will not achieve any meaningful development if the problem is not solved soonest.
It is reassuring that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, assured that the military was working tirelessly to restore peace in the country and that the armed forces would continue to uphold their core values of service, integrity and honour. The sooner this is done, the better for the country.