Military
Fighting Insurgency: When Journalists Compare Notes over Opinion and Interest in Military Strategy
Fighting Insurgency: When Journalists Compare Notes over Opinion and Interest in Military Strategy
By: James Bwala
At least in the last 15 years, Nigerians have seen efforts put forth by successive governments to put out the spirit that guides certain individuals, who are bent on crushing the oneness of the larger society we live in by their ideology of sectism. We have seen the rise of Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria and its devastating effects. We were moved to tears by the rise of banditry in the northwest and central Nigeria and continued to count the number of deaths.
The kidnapping cases in southern Nigeria and the continued agitations by the indigenous people of Biafra and IPOB, particularly in southeast Nigeria, have attempted to change the way we live. The government has continued to reassure Nigerians of its efforts in fighting many crises, and it has continued to do so. But Nigerians seemed to be getting impatient with certain attitudes displayed by key actors in the fight against insurgency in Nigeria, especially strategies adopted by the military and police in dealing with these phases of internal wranglings.
I was moved to look into the issue of compelling results from many reports and read the minds of many reporters on many platforms to which I belong. Speaking on the current trend of security activities in the country, many believed that nothing much has been done to ensure that the strategy being put in place by security agencies in the country is working as expected by Nigerians.
I read about many suggestions, which include a high time for the handlers of security issues in the country to look inward to these suggestions if we are truly reasoning along the lines of fighting to end the insecurity situation in the country. One of the contributors to the debate suggested that a swap of military commanders as well as intelligence personnel be carried out. In practicality, it is suggested that field commanders of northern extraction be moved to the operational bases in the south, while the same be taken from the south to the north, as well as intelligence officers.
His opinion is that many of these commanders and intelligence officers are at home with many of these terrorists and bandits in the north, as well as those in the operations in southern Nigeria, who continue to leak information to these criminals, making every effort by the government to look more like a political interest than the opinions of the people.
Speaking on a video in circulation about the operations of the bandits in northwest Nigeria, a discussant on one of the platforms and a reporter with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, state that facts still remain that bandits are still around and conduct such acts as they do almost on a daily basis with impunity.
According to the reporter, “If you listen or read media reports, many villages in Niger, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina states are still under siege, paying taxes to bandit groups that occupied primary schools as residence while subjecting the villagers to slavery.”
One of the participants, also a journalist, said, “I think it matters if we want to rule out the possibility of peddling fake news. I agree that there are activities by bandits in the NW and NC regions, but that doesn’t mean there are no counterterrorism activities by the Nigerian military. These kinds of conflicts are ubiquitous and pre-existential; they only keep evolving. So yes, they are happening, and efforts are being made to checkmate them; maybe they are happening at a pace that can be done better.”
While his opinion was worth looking at, another counter to the argument revealed that, “Of course there is counterterrorism, but the outcome is not encouraging, as bandits will kidnap victims, keep them for months while communicating with their relatives and collecting ransom until the last victim, then go for another round while security agencies are like watching helplessly or overwhelmed. Such victims even include security agents!”
More sad is seeing overwhelmed state governments trying to negotiate with bandits out of fear! The bandits hideouts are well known to the government, which has jet fighters, artillery, APCs, and other heavy arms, yet the bad elements are getting bolder on a daily basis.
A reporter confirmed that the Islamic cleric Sheikh Gumi even took some security personnel along to meet with the bandits in their hideouts, and the bandits talked boldly, looking down on the Nigerian authorities as weak.
One of the reporters agreed that the government needs to change tactics in its approach to handling the threat that keeps growing because it keeps using the normal tactics that make the whole thing look like treating leprosy with panadol. “Chinua Achebe said a strange disease (like bandits) cannot be cured with everyday herbs.” He added.
Another observation was that the government should think of something like mobilizing 50,000 to 100,000 youths in each of the affected states to be led by security agencies to sack all identified hideouts, just like youths in Maiduguri did to sack boko haram. There is no dangerous security threat like that of food insecurity, and that is where Nigeria is heading as bandits and other terrorists continue to threaten agriculture in the North.” He added.
On the reeling facts, one of the discussants said, “I agree your points are valid; the nemesis that is happening isn’t being treated the way it should. But do you think this combat approach is resolute enough to totally eliminate banditry and kidnapping? Do you think the way ‘youths in Maiduguri sacked Boko Haram’ is finite and brought an end to the insurgency? Imagine if bandits or BH say they want to have a faceoff with the military, let them meet at a point and fight off to the last blood, and assume the Nigerian military won them over and killed every last one of them. Do you say this is a victory that we will not see anything again like BH/Bandits?” He asked.
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“While everyone who knows history of conflict will attest Nigeria’s is novel and multifaceted, hence needs a tactical approach; instead of killing people who are hungry, why not find them what to eat, a job to do, or the healthcare they need? Instead of policies drawn and argued by politicians who take humongous salaries for nothing, why not make the lives of the poor easy? The problem as I see it, not wholly but majorly, lies in 1) democratic governance, which, for instance, values a more constitutional approach to solving problems than traditional leadership. 2) policies that are good on paper but not in the daily life of a common Nigerian. 3) the puppeting of the military by greedy politicians who don’t give absolute autonomy to security with a non-kinetic approach.” He stressed.
“It is a common understanding that when you can’t feed yourself, the one you rely on will feed you what he wishes. Farming for cash or food is not easy. 1) Farmers rely on loans, which they oftentimes suffer from not repaying. 2) They cannot do large-scale farming, for example, in the NE, due to insecurity. 3) Fertilizers and other farming logistics that the government can actively support are not provided in the case scenario: the tractors in Maiduguri’s Farm House some years ago and the Industrial Park beside BOSU.
“So, why won’t the government, for instance, take all of these to fruition? For example, it provides a large-scale farm with mechanization (since the government can), hires farmers for farming (job creation), makes industrial processing of the harvests, and sells them back at a subsidized amount to locals. But the government won’t do it and will say it’s not feasible. I’ve seen this done here in Nigeria. WFP has implemented the same in Kano, and rice was farmed. Truckloads of food from Nigeria were shipped to Burkina Faso. This happened just last year.” He said.
Another replied that “if people are busy doing what they can to feed themselves, nobody will have time to fight or kill each other just to survive. If you think fighting or killing bandits or BH by airstrikes or sustained gunfights will kill the elements, what will you say of the ideologies in the minds of their wives and children who have survived the fight, saw the military kill their fathers, and vowed to take vengeance?
“In years to come, they will fight harder and with more sophistication than their parents. So the bottom line for me is that Nigeria is trying—not enough, for sure—but approaches for such need to be all-encompassing. We can see propaganda videos of bandits testing their armor. How much of the strength of the military do we know? They don’t even show it; their successes aren’t as loud as the day-to-day abductions of bandits. Soldiers die on the frontlines. And also, it is easy to commit a crime, like kidnapping and demanding a ransom; it is the prevention of such kinds of intentions that is difficult. Still, I am not detesting your facts; I am attributing a wider picture for a more balanced understanding.
“The issue is that the military should dominate the fight. We record military formations being sacked by terrorists who are bold enough to attack convoys of troops! That’s not an encouraging signal. They need to receive successive bloody noses and many surprises from the military to keep them busy looking for where to hide instead of waiting to repel them. They need to be kept on the defensive. It’s a pity, and that is why the issues keep growing rather than dwindling. The entire approach to banditry, as well as other criminal networks, is not as pragmatic and holistic as it should be. Some of us have started suffering from the terror activities that discourage massive farming due to death threats posed to them by criminal elements across the states.”
Fighting Insurgency: When Journalists Compare Notes over Opinion and Interest in Military Strategy
17 soldiers killed as EIGS fighters launch complex attack on gendarmerie base in Niger
By: Zagazola Makama
At least 17 soldiers of the Nigerien National Gendarmerie were killed on Wednesday in a complex and coordinated attack by fighters of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) on a security position in Garbougna, located along the Terra–Niamey axis.
Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the assault, launched in the early afternoon, involved heavily armed militants who overwhelmed the gendarmerie post with a combination of direct fire, improvised explosive devices and manoeuvre tactics.
The preliminary casualty report indicates that 17 personnel, including the team leader, a captain, were killed, while 34 others sustained serious injuries.
Several soldiers were also reported missing following the raid.
The attackers reportedly destroyed multiple operational vehicles and made away with others. They also seized military equipment and weapons before withdrawing from the location.
Reinforcement teams were deployed to the area shortly after the incident, while aerial surveillance was activated to track the fleeing assailants.
Wednesday’s attack adds to the rising wave of coordinated assaults by EIGS and other extremist groups operating across Niger’s tri-border region, where security forces remain heavily engaged in counter-terrorism operations.
17 soldiers killed as EIGS fighters launch complex attack on gendarmerie base in Niger
Nigerian Army neutralizes 239 terrorists, recovers weapons in Kaduna and Niger states
By: Zagazola MAkama
Troops of the Nigerian Army under the command of 1 Division, Sector 1 Operation FANSAN YANMA, have successfully neutralized 239 violent extremists and insurgents while recovering a significant cache of weapons and ammunition across Kaduna and Niger states, a top military officer has disclosed.
Maj Gen Abubakar Sadiq Muhammed Wase, during the operational briefing to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu, said the successes were part of sustained clearance operations, patrols, ambushes, raids, and anti-kidnapping missions aimed at denying terrorists freedom of action in the sector.
The operations, he said, led to the recovery of 185 assorted weapons and 5,860 rounds of ammunition from identified insurgent enclaves and hideouts. “Our offensive and non-kinetic operations continue to degrade terrorist capabilities and disrupt their operational networks,” Maj Gen Wase said.
He highlighted that the Division’s area of responsibility, which covers Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, and Niger states, is characterised by rugged terrain, dense forests, and underdeveloped infrastructure, which terrorists exploit as hideouts. Despite these challenges, he said the coordinated use of mobile combat units, light mobility platforms such as motorcycles and gun trucks, and aerial surveillance have restricted insurgent movements and enhanced operational coverage.
Maj Gen Wase also noted the recovery of over 1,091 life-support items, 364 vehicles and motorcycles, and the rescue of 563 kidnapped victims since the Division assumed operational control. He attributed the success to a combination of kinetic operations, intelligence-led targeting, and inter-agency collaboration, which have strengthened the Division’s capacity to dominate its area of responsibility.
He noted that the Nigerian Army has strengthened its commitment to community development and civil-military cooperation with the completion and commissioning of a new primary school in Tudun Biri, Kaduna State.
The unveiling of the Chidambere Community Primary School was part of a broader initiative by 1 Division, Sector 1 Operation FANSAN YANMA, to complement military operations with developmental interventions aimed at winning the hearts and minds of local communities.
Maj Gen Abubakar Sadiq Muhammed Wase, who briefed the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu, said the project was commissioned and handed over to the Kaduna State Government as part of the Division’s ongoing non-kinetic engagements.
He explained that the Army’s engagement in education, healthcare, and infrastructure is designed to enhance civilian confidence, reduce community vulnerability to terrorist influence, and strengthen local cooperation with security agencies. “The school will serve as a symbol of the Nigerian Army’s commitment to peace, stability, and sustainable development in conflict-affected communities,” Maj Gen Wase said.
The commissioning follows a series of non-kinetic initiatives, including medical outreaches in Tutunbiri, Amarabanjoz, and other affected communities, aimed at ameliorating humanitarian challenges created by prior security operations and air component strikes.
He noted also that as part of ongoing efforts to reduce insurgent influence and promote peace, the Nigerian Army has successfully facilitated the surrender of several terrorist groups operating in Kaduna State, Maj Gen Abubakar Sadiq Muhammed Wase has disclosed.
The surrenders were achieved through a reconciliation and engagement team constituted in collaboration with the Kaduna State Government and the Office of the National Security Adviser. Targeted localities included Chukun, Egebi, Ndiwa, and Birnin Gwari LGAs, where terrorists were encouraged to lay down arms and accept government amnesty.
Maj Gen Wase revealed that 16 notorious terrorist groups, including Dogo Gide, Yelo Jamboros, Kolo Meri, Alhajilabi, Bilia, Gwamna, and Kabiru Boderi, expressed willingness to surrender. Weapons and ammunition were recovered during the process, and 142 kidnapped victims were released without ransom, including Dr. Daniel Okuola, a medical doctor who had been abducted in 2023 from the National Eye Center, Kaduna.
The GOC emphasised that these non-kinetic engagements do not reduce the intensity of ongoing kinetic operations. Rather, they complement military efforts by isolating terrorists from vulnerable communities, gathering intelligence, and strengthening civil-military relations.
He noted that the Division’s integrated approach of reconciliation, civil engagement, and targeted operations has strengthened public confidence in the military and supported the broader aim of restoring peace and security across the sector.
Maj Gen Wase said the Division remains committed to sustaining dialogue with repentant elements while continuing offensive operations against those who reject government amnesty.
Nigerian Army neutralizes 239 terrorists, recovers weapons in Kaduna and Niger states
COAS storms Kebbi , orders massive manhunt for abducted schoolgirls
By: Zagazola Makama
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, on Monday stormed Kebbi State in a decisive show of force, directing troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA to leave no stone unturned in the ongoing search-and-rescue operation for students abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) Maga in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area.
The COAS, who arrived the state with a strong delegation of Principal Staff Officers from Army Headquarters, held an operational meeting with frontline commanders before addressing troops deployed in the search effort.
In a firm and emotionally charged message, Shaibu ordered the soldiers to intensify both day and night operations until all the abducted schoolgirls were safely rescued.
“You must continue day and night fighting. We must find these children,” he told the troops gathered at the forward operating location.
“For the commanders here, you must leverage intelligence to conduct intelligence-based missions. It has become a pattern that bandits target soft targets. If they know you are in a location, they will not come there or face you in a fight and you can defeat them, can’t you?”
Shaibu reminded officers and soldiers that a ruthless determination to succeed was essential.
“You must have all the commitment to make sure you succeed. Once you receive intelligence of something of this nature, you must act professionally and decisively. This is not just about our image; it is about doing our job properly,” he cautioned.
The Army Chief also held a separate engagement with local vigilantes and hunters supporting the operation. He emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration, describing them as indispensable partners due to their deep knowledge of the terrain.
“If we have people like you, it is you who will work with us and provide local intelligence. You know these forests and you are the ones to tell us where the criminals are,” he said.
“Your hunters should storm the nooks and crannies of these forests. Soldiers will also join you. We are counting on you to work with us to bring lasting peace. What these evil people are trying to do is to scare children from going to school. Let every man know we will not allow that.”
He commended the vigilantes for their courage and contributions, assuring them of the military’s full support.
Earlier, Lt.-Gen. Shaibu paid a sympathy visit to the Traditional Ruler of Danko, Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Allaje, and the Principal of the attacked school, Hajiya Rabi Musa Magaji.
During the visit, he assured the monarch and the school authorities of the military’s unwavering resolve to rescue the girls unharmed.
“We are fully committed. We will not relent. The safety of these children is a national priority, and we are deploying every resource to ensure they return home safely,” the COAS said.
In her remarks, Hajiya Rabi expressed gratitude for the Army Chief’s swift visit, saying it demonstrated the urgency with which the military and federal authorities were treating the incident.
“Your visit has given us hope. We believe that with this level of commitment, our girls will soon return,” she said.
The abduction at GGCSS Maga has triggered widespread concern across the country, prompting an intensified military response involving ground and air components under Operation FANSAN YANMA.
Security sources who spoke to Zagazola Makama said troops, supported by surveillance assets, have expanded search corridors across forested areas spanning Danko/Wasagu and adjoining boundaries.
The COAS and his entourage later proceeded to inspect additional deployment points before returning to the operational command centre for a review briefing.
COAS storms Kebbi , orders massive manhunt for abducted schoolgirls
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