31/12/2019
I don't want to believe the Nigerian Army are short of ideas!
What's going on? Why the renewed resurgence of boko haram activisties, particularly on Borno/Yobe highways? I don't want to believe the army has run out of ideas or don't have ideas on how to limit such attacks to the nearest minimum! The unnecessary blood shed on the high ways these days is so depressing it completely ruined our Christmas holidays!
There is no doubt the Nigerian army together with other security agencies & cooperation from the civilian JTF has recorded tremendous successes in the fight against boko haram in the 5 years of PMB's administration, however the few but deadly attacks by boko haram on innocent travelers of recent, is threatening to overshadow the successes achieved over the years!
There's something fundamentally wrong with the security arrangements on the highways and I wonder, why it is so! Is it because of lack of manpower or equipments? We see security personnel stationed in groups of 4 - 5 at an interval of 50 km apart from each other on the highways! When you scrutinize their environment, there are no vehicles with them; Where you see one, its usually a saloon car belonging to their oga!
With the arrangement above, I wonder how they will be effective against boko haram or kidnappers who usually surface with not less than 50 of them & well equipped! They then take positions strategically between two security posts to begin & successfully complete their deadly operations!
I ask myself, what is the directives given to the soldiers permanently stationed at a point? Are they supposed to race to the scenes of crimes when they perceive one or they are to just remain at their duty posts? If they are to race to the area of threats, how do they get there? And are their numbers adequate enough to confront a 50 man criminal gang with AK 47?
We should be realistic & true to ourselves, there is no way this will work!
What needs to be done: 20 well equipped security personnel (with vehicles) at each security post with an order to each of them to close rank & quickly race to crime scenes! Secondly, at any given time, there should be two sets of 50 man soldiers to cover the whole road on a 24 hours continuous patrol! When this simple measures are taken, there is no way a rag tag army will operate freely with reckless abandon on our highways again!
Although these measures might be costly, in terms of material & human resources, but we have no other options...after all isn't war costly?
I have not seen the massive recruitment of soldiers which is usually associated with war situations, & I wonder why! Is it that this war within is being underrated? A situation where every citizen with the exception of very few who live in fortified areas live in perpetual fear, is mentally draining & not good for the leadership & nor the led! The trauma is too much & worst than in a conventional war situation where women & children are spared & rules of engagement observed!
I know of well able youths who are ready to join the army to defend their fatherland, from being reduced to a lawless state, but nobody is beckoning them to come on board.
The commander in chief have done all he could, its left for the service chiefs to be a little bit more serious & not to take this war against the Nigerian state by bandits & terrorists lightly!
