Interrogating Nigeria’s efforts against terrorism

By Fredrick Nwabufo

“The precision strikes, coupled with enhanced battlefield awareness provided by the theatre’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets, gave troops additional leverage and impetus to respond with overwhelming and lethal force,” —
Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Spokesperson of the Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK).

This was after Nigerian troops killed over 50 Boko Haram terrorists in a daring encounter in Borno State in October.

The battle was fierce as the death-dealers had forged themselves into a formidable number, but our troops overwhelmed them.

In the past eight months, the Nigerian military has dispatched over 592 terrorists in Borno State alone. In August, the military intercepted and killed, in one fell swoop, over 400 armed marauders who had converged to attack a village in Zamfara State.

Also, in August, top leaders of Ansaru terrorist group were arrested, and are currently undergoing prosecution.

Other successes have been recorded in the war against terrorism in the past two years across the North-West, North-East, and South-East.

Within this period, the number of terrorism-related deaths plummeted from 2,600 per month to less than 200. In March, the Global Terrorism Index reported that terrorist attacks were at their lowest in over a decade in Nigeria.

Over 10,000 victims of kidnapping in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina, Taraba, Adamawa, and many other states have been released.

With a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic measures, attacks in the South-East have been reduced by almost 80% while over 1,000 kidnap victims have been rescued without ransom payment.

There is increased security presence across vulnerable border communities, firming up protection in all parts of our nation, as well as enhanced strategic partnerships with our neighbours on counter-terrorism.

In addition, there are stringent efforts in curtailling access to small arms and light weapons by non-state actors. Security agencies recovered and destroyed over 5,000 military-grade rifles and intercepted over 20 gun-running networks in the past months.

The Tinubu administration has also intensified interagency collaboration and capacity building among state actors to ensure definitive success in the fight against insecurity.

The administration has made multi-million-dollar investments in modernised equipment for the nation’s security agencies and increased the defence and security budget.

The Office of the National Security Adviser also launched the Strategic Communication Interagency Policy Committee (SCIPC) for a strategic approach to engaging with the public and countering disinformation.

The list is not exhaustive, but the administration, in full apprehension of the foremost responsibility of government, which is ensuring the safety and security of all citizens, has remained committed to this end.

At the decoration of the newly-appointed service chiefs a few days ago, President Bola Tinubu gave them their marching orders. He said: “We cannot allow the crisis that began in 2009 to persist any longer. I charge you, as the heads of our nation’s armed forces, to carry out your duties with patriotic zeal. Nigerians expect results, not excuses. I also urge you to be innovative, pre-emptive, and courageous. Let’s stay ahead of those who seek to threaten our peace. Let us deploy technology where necessary. Security threats are constantly evolving and mutating. Of grave concern to our administration is the recent emergence of new armed groups in the North-Central, North-West, and parts of the South. We must not allow these new threats to fester. We must be decisive and proactive. Let us smash the new snakes right at the head.”

Evidently, he saw tomorrow, and his administration remains ever faithful to its bounden purpose of securing our nation and its peoples.

-Nwabufo is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement