PMB Security Legacy and Need for Caution By Afakriya A. Gadzama

PMB Security Legacy and Need for Caution

By  Afakriya A. Gadzama

The State Security Service recently had cause to alert on
reported plans by some individuals and groups to orchestrate
activities that would undermine the President Muhammadu Buhari
Administration. Such alerts were not the first in the life the
government and not surprising since the government had previously
taken against such activities. What however makes the latest
reports intriguing and threatening is that they are coming amid
equally disturbing resurgence of activities of insurgents and many
criminally minded subversive groups to ferment public disorder.

It is instructive that the country in the last two months has
also been besieged by renewed flare-ups of ethno communal clashes
in states like Taraba and Kaduna, increased insurgent attacks in
Borno and Yobe States and violent attacks by armed bandits in Niger
and Katsina States. In addition to these threats to security of
immeasurable proportion, many faceless groups have been
masterminding huge public disaffection by whipping up
ethno-communal and religious sentiments in parts of the country,
such as the video currently in circulation threatening attacks on
communities in parts of the country. Attacks by insurgents in Borno
State and incessant bloodletting in Southern Kaduna also seem to
suggest that these are the plans to trigger mayhem the State
Security Service is talking about. The situation is further
compounded by intermittent violent attacks by lawless groups in
States such as Kogi.

Equally indicative of the precarious security situation in the
country is the cold blooded murder of international aid workers in
Borno State by the Boko Haram and their Islamic State West Africa
Province affiliates recently. The recent ambush on Borno State
Governor’s convoy further exposes a frightening situation in the
North East. Although many people have given the impression that the
insurgency in the North East has been uprooted, the situation, as
confirmed by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, the Senator representing
Southern Borno, the Shehu of Borno and the Borno State Governor,
Prof. Babagana Zulum, is far from over especially in most of the
Local Government Areas on the shores of the Lake Chad and in
Central and Southern Borno.

We are however of the belief that with the ongoing counter
terrorism efforts, the much cherished legacy of President Muhammadu
Buhari and the interest of the nation will better be served. The
North East people will forever remember President Muhammadu
Buhari’s achievements in halting the onslaught by the Boko Haram
and the displacement and killings of hundreds of thousands of our
people. Our people are however worried by the possibility of these
achievements been reversed by the renewed activities of the deadly
combination of burgeoning Boko Haram/ISWAP attacks and mayhem by
ethnic militias. The ongoing counter terrorism efforts as many well
meaning Nigerians have pointed out requires revamping in all
facets. Suggestions have been made for revamping the security
architecture by bringing on board fresh ideas and strategies. These
suggestions should not be misconstrued to mean questioning the
President’s right to decide on ideas being proposed. It is
important to note that, all forms of war are won only by superior
strategies and efforts.

It has to be pointed out that the situation the country has
found itself in currently requires renewed efforts to stop the
carnage in most parts of the country by insurgents, ethnic militias
and mercenaries. It bears restating that the government loses its
legitimacy in a situation where the lives of the citizens cannot be
guaranteed and insecurity is pervasive. It should equally be noted
that the President has repeatedly given directives and logistic
support to decisively deal with the current security situation.
What however is lacking is the failure of those charged with the
tasks to put in their maximum best to deal with the situation.
Public support of the efforts of the security forces is also
dwindling.

The time to take far reaching decisions on the current security
situation in the county is now. The country will be saved being
pushed over the hill by immediately stopping the insurgency attacks
and needless bloodletting in parts of the country. All that is
required to bring the current security challenges to an end are
galvanizing the support of the populace and equipping the security
forces with cutting edge fighting capabilities. The other
deficiencies that need to be addressed include manpower and
equipment shortage and sagging morale of the security forces. As
previously advised, an insurgency that has lasted a decade will
require much more sustained and comprehensive counter and
anti-insurgency efforts. No insurgency situation like the one we
face has been successfully defeated only by the use of force.
Equally important is the pursuit of a well structured mop up of
dangerous weapons believed to be in massive circulation in the
country. It is well-known that towns and villages in Adamawa, Borno
and Yobe States just like most parts of the country are awash with
dangerous weapons. It therefore follows that as long as the
dangerous weapons in the hands of miscreants are not retrieved,
criminal elements will continue to use them to unleash havoc on the
populace. A disturbing dimension to the insurgency in the North
East that should be pointed out are disclosures that the insurgents
are believed to have acquired weapons with long range firing
capabilities. The reported firing of such weapons into parts of
Maiduguri days to the Sallah is very scary. The other disturbing
dimension of the insurgency is the regrouping of the dispersed
insurgents and intermittent attacks on communities in the North
East. These developments underscore the need for re-strategizing
the ongoing counter terrorism efforts.

Another very dangerous dimension of the current security threats
that should attract immediate decisive action from the security
forces is the reported incursions of the Boko Haram/Islamic State
West Africa Province elements into the North Central and North
Western geopolitical zones. These developments portend the
terrorist incursions into the country is taking a more daring
dimension. These developments constitute very dangerous threat to
President Muhammadu Buhari’s achievements in the last five years
and national security.

One should not fail to also mention that the other collateral
complication to criminality in the northern parts of the country
are the activities of rampaging herdsmen in the North Central and
armed banditry in the North West. The attacks are resulting in
imminent food scarcity as farming in the last one year has been
reduced by approximately forty percent. Worse still is the general
state of siege that hangs over states in these zones. Something
definitely needs to be done to arrest the drift into acute food
scarcity in the country.

The current security threats in the country are ominous as they
constitute a huge distraction to government efforts to provide the
country with well thought out infrastructural development which is
only obtainable in a peaceful atmosphere.  As earlier pointed
out, the determination of President Muhammadu Buhari to meet the
yearnings of the people should not be distracted by poor handling
of the current security challenges.

A. A. GADZAMA OFR, mni

Former DGSSS and Chairman

Of the Governing Board of National

Institute for Security Studies