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President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent appeal for foreign help in the fight against terrorism could not have come at a better time than now. Speaking in Abuja when he received Letters of Credence from the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador James Kingston Christoff, and the Ambassador of Mexico to Nigeria, Juan Alfred Miranda Oritz, President Buhari said the matter of security had become the business of all nations as no nation could tackle its security challenges alone.
He painted a gloomy picture of security challenges facing Nigeria and noted that at the regional level, the country had been working with other member-states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other regional blocs to deal with terrorism and other crimes.
While commending the Nigerian security agencies for their gallant efforts so far in countering the rising security challenges, we believe that getting foreign assistance at this point in time will enable them overcome the terrorists. Apart from regional plans to contain terrorism in sub-Saharan Africa, there is need for a global action against it. We agree with President Buhari’s assertion that no nation can effectively wage the war against terrorism alone without collaboration.
In the bid to check extremism, the president told the envoys: “The world must, therefore, work closely together and Nigeria counts on your support in cementing the relations between our countries at both bilateral and multilateral levels to surmount these global threats to civilisation”
We commend President Buhari for seeking help. However it is our view that in addition to seeking foreign help in the war against terrorists, bandits and other criminals, the government should continue to motivate the troops by providing them with the needed logistics to win the war.
The soldiers must be adequately trained and equipped for the tasks ahead. We call on the military high command to come up with new strategies and tactics to overcome the terrorists. There is no doubt that our troops are capable of defeating the terrorists if they are adequately equipped with sophisticated weapons.
The troops should take the war to the terrorists and decimate them as recently ordered by the president. There will be no hiding place for the terrorists any more. This is the time to crush the terrorists and we believe that the military is determined and resolute to defeat them. Henceforth, the security agencies should collaborate more in intelligence gathering and sharing. The war against terrorists can only be won if the security agencies share intelligence.
However, the military authorities must get rid of the fifth columnists or saboteurs within the security agencies, who, according to reports, leak vital operational strategies to the terrorists. Our soldiers should also be exposed to foreign training on how to counter terrorism, especially in deployment of intelligence and technology.
At the same time, we enjoin Nigerians to divulge vital information to the military as part of their contributions to win the war against the terrorists, bandits and other criminals. We have the wherewithal to win the war.
If it requires recruiting more men and acquiring more weapons, let the government do so forthwith. The president’s appeal for foreign assistance is in order. We encourage the troops to take the war to the terrorists and ruthlessly crush them.
