By Ibrahim Saleh
Leadership has always remained a critical factor in society, particularly as Nigeria continues to grapple with emerging challenges of insecurity.
At a time when Boko Haram is waging an insurgency in the North East, banditry and kidnapping are ravaging the North West and parts of the North Central, with armed robbery, kidnappings and insurrection prevailing in the South East, there is no better time to profile especially leadership that are charged with the responsibility of restoring peace and security in the country.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, stands tall in leadership, especially in the area of security.
A qualified Special Forces officer (airborne and amphibious), Lagbaja was born on February 28, 1968, in Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government, Osun State. He was admitted to the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987 as the 39th Regular Course and was subsequently commissioned into the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps as a second lieutenant on September 19, 1992.
He rose to become General Officer Commanding, Headquarters, 82 Division, from March 2021 to August 2022 and Headquarters, 1 Division, from August 2022 to June 2023.
Within the short span in office, Lagbaja, with his extensive knowledge of land, airborne and amphibious warfare, particularly with his grasp of the war against terrorism and insurgency, is already beginning to make headway in the collective bit to tackle the menace posed by insecurity across the country.
Building on the successes of his predecessors, the COAS has effectively demonstrated his preparedness for his new responsibilities, just as he continues uncommon grasp of the current security challenges in the country and even what may come ahead.
He belongs to a rare breed of military leaders who read history and who apply history regularly while discharging their duties, consciously aware that taking the time to learn from the past will increase their ability to answer the tough questions when they arise.
It is little wonder then that Lagbaja is harnessing his knowledge and experience to ensure that there is synergy among sister security agencies in the collective fight against insecurity.
“As someone who has studied military technology and history, I understand that conflicts cannot be resolved by a single branch or agency alone. Therefore, I recognise the necessity of collaborating with sister services and other security agencies.
“Fortunately, I have an advantage as the Chief of Army Staff: the other service chiefs, including the Chief of Air Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, are my course mates. We not only attended the Nigerian Defence Academy together but we also trained in the same battalion and lived in the same hostel. Additionally, the Chief of Defense Staff also trained in the same battalion.
“I intend to leverage this longstanding friendship that spans over 30 years to further enhance the synergy we experienced during the tenure of the immediate past service chiefs,” the COAS said.
He perfectly understands that leadership is more than knowing where you are, where you want to go and how you are going to get there. He is, therefore, fully aware that, for him to lead the military effectively, he must not only inspire others to join in his vision but must also take decisions, move the mission forward and lead by personal example.
His vision and philosophy for the transformation of the Nigerian Army towards the effective discharge of its constitutional mandate, therefore, leaves no room for doubt as to what Nigerians should expect as far as tackling issues of insecurity are concerned.
“I pledge to Nigerians that we will work diligently to ensure peace and stability return to every corner of Nigeria as quickly as possible. My philosophy of command as COAS is to transform the Nigerian Army into a well-trained, equipped and highly effective force to fulfil our constitutional responsibilities in a joint environment,” he stated.
He explained that his vision is not just physical but also spiritual. Lagbaja is the true manifestation of those rare military top brass who take genuine interest in their subordinates, which usually translates into tangible results in terms of mission accomplishments.
“My philosophy is based on three pillars: leadership, operational effectiveness and sound administration. I am deeply concerned about the welfare of my troops. In your research analysing potential service chiefs prior to the announcement on June 19, you may have come across the fact that, as the General Officer Commanding, I have taken good care of my troops.
“I don’t just eat from the same plate, I eat from the same pit as them. I go on operations with them and I don’t assign a task without experiencing it myself. Even as the GOC, I still ride a bicycle around the barracks, which I have been doing since my time as a commanding officer, brigade commander and GOC in the Nigerian Army,” he added.
Under his leadership, the Nigerian military is steadily reaffirming its potency and thereby confronting the security challenges in the country in a manner that was never contemplated before now.
“We still face the challenges of terrorism in the North East, but not at the scale we experienced in 2014, 2015, and even in the years that followed. Banditry and kidnapping for ransom have become prevalent in the North West, but we are actively addressing the situation and making progress.
“We have taken significant measures to counter these criminal elements and prevent their migration from the North West to other parts of the North Central region, particularly Niger State,” he said.
Though not yet Uhuru, still, the Nigerian military has continued to record major successors against terrorists and criminals.
Recently, at a two-day stakeholders engagement workshop themed “Sustaining Post Conflict Recovery through Effective Peace Building and Reconciliation Initiative,” in Maiduguri, Borno State, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, particularly commended the country’s gallant forces for effectively safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity, while acknowledging the armed forces of Nigeria for sustaining the military onslaught on bandit enclaves in the country.
Under the leadership of the COAS, Nigerians daily are cheered by the news of the military recording successes in their encounters with those threatening peace and security in the country.
Recently also, the military recorded a major success in Katsina State, after a joint operation neutralised scores of bandits taking refuge in Tsora Hill, Safana Local Government.
Director of NAF Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, said the joint operation between the air component of Operation Hadarin Daji and the 17 Brigade of the Nigerian Army succeeded in eliminating several terrorists, with the destruction of their enclave.
With Lagbaja in charge, the Nigerian military is better positioned to key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, especially as it relates to reducing to the barest minimum challenges of internal and cross-border security challenges being experienced not only in Nigeria but across West Africa.
•Saleh wrote from Keffi, Nasarawa State