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The army as an institution is regarded highly due to the strict discipline it inculcates in its personnel.
A soldier is generally seen as an embodiment of discipline and obedience.
I recall vividly as a new student of the Lagos City College, Yaba, my family was residing on Lewis Street and I had to trek the long stretch from the Lafiaji area of Lagos Island to the mainland where our college was located just to save my transport money. Each time we sighted a soldiers, as inquisitive students, we would trail the soldier and emulate his marching skill until he disappeared from our sight, leaving us to continue the marching to school.
We had believed that soldiers were a special breed of human beings; that they didn’t smile neither did they get angry easily.
A few students, including this writer, later desired to join the Nigerian Army but for the objection from parents.
However, journalism eventually brought me closer to the military as a reporter. (I have done over three decades reporting and writing about the activities of security agencies and their personnel).
Historically, it is unheard of that a soldier would deliberately shed the blood of his fellow soldier, except in circumstances that are unbearable and beyond him, like in a war situation or during a coup. So, it was big news that circulated around the security community recently when a soldier spilled the blood, not only of his colleagues, but also that of his superior officer who, incidentally, was his commander.
The gory and unfortunate incident happened in the evening of Sunday, March 5, 2023, when a soldier of the Nigerian Army, Lance Corporal Nwobodo Chinonso, openly shot dead his operation commander (names withheld).
According to reports, Chinonso also shot dead two of his military colleagues (names withheld) before shooting himself dead. Very sad commentary. For a soldier to have the courage to shoot his boss and two of his colleagues before shooting himself should really escalate many issues that are ordinarily being covered outside the military formations.
Perhaps the soldier may be battling with operational and psychological stress. Maybe he has been going through depression, unknown to many around him, and the only easy outlet for him was to end it that way, thinking that his boss may have been inadvertently contributing to his situation.
If he was depressed, how come none of his colleagues was able to notice any behavioural changes that could have been nipped in the bud, and solution urgently provided?
Although experts say it is something that is common with military personnel, that’s not a justification for any of our soldiers to go haywire. This further brings to the fore the question whether routine medical checks are carried out on soldiers, especially those on very demanding assignments.
Nigerians are waiting for the report of the internal investigation, which I am sure will comprise medical, natural, psychological and spiritual (could he have needed spiritual deliverance?) aspects.
Definitely, action needs to be taken to forestall a recurrence.
However, back in the civilian larger society, a depressive atmosphere is gradually brewing and the citizenry are groaning in pain and frustration.
Truly, the present situation in Nigeria resembles the scenario surrounding the incident involving the soldier in question.
From every indication, there are pointers to the fact that he must have been overwhelmed with problems that he hid from his immediate superiors, yet he carried on with his military activities by presenting an ‘all is well’ mien.
Such a disposition is being exhibited by most Nigerians who are aggrieved to their marrow.
Even though the report of a study once classified Nigerians as “the happiest people on earth,” and this attribute was further strengthened when legendary afrobeat musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, in one of his songs, described Nigerians as people “suffering and smiling”, the fact is that all is not well with many in the country.
Today, many innocent Nigerians are dying for no justifiable reason attributable to them.
The government, of its own volition, decided to carry out a national constitutional exercise, which mandates every citizen to comply, but, unfortunately, the people are being denied the basic means of livelihood such as easy access to money and fuel to power their means of transportation. They groan and lament like the Israelites under the draconian rulership of Pharaoh.
Many are dying in hospitals because they cannot access their hard-earned money deposited in banks to enable them withdraw and pay for medical service.
The same situation plays out at various gas stations across the country, where motorists spend long nights and frustrating hours all day just to fill their tanks in an agonising manner and situation.
Yet, Nigeria is one of the leading countries in oil production. These painful situations are the result of government’s inability to implement a policy.
Despite the Supreme Court’s intervention, both the government and the CBN are still carrying on as if, first, they are above the law of the land and, secondly, as if there is no law in the country. No wonder many are resolving to be nonchalant towards any national call to duty.
Unlike the killer-soldier, Nigerians have learnt over the years to be resilient and optimistic, always believing in the supremacy of their creator.
They freely appreciate their creator in every circumstance they find themselves. Unlike the soldier, most Nigerians do not bottle up their frustration. Instead, they openly discuss and jest, or turn the pain into a comic caricature about the harsh situation.
Listening to programmes on radio stations when national issues are discussed, one comes to terms with the reality of what Nigerians truly represent: people who do not want to be oppressed either by fellow Nigerians or by their political leaders, people who want to work for every necessary good thing of life and people who are indifferent in the face of insecurity.
Years back, once the electricity power was restored, children and elders in the neighbourhood would scream, “Up NEPA!”
Nigerians know how to vent their anger and frustrations without spilling blood. That is what differentiates Nigerians from the killer-soldier.
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Security: Image-makers or damagers? (1)
In today’s world, perceptions of the activities around security institutions are largely dependent on the known tripod visibilities, including already established knowledge of the security agency in the public domain.
This was why information experts conceived the idea of creating an office known as “Image-maker” (public relations, corporate affairs officer, etc.) for the main purpose of appointing a knowledgeable person from within the institution to always speak and answer relevant questions concerning the administrative and operational activities of the institution.
(To be continued)
