A few days ago, the Nigerian media space was agog with a syndicated report that pressure was being mounted on President Bola Tinubu to sack the Defence Minister, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
The said report was allegedly credited to a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi and a certain youth group, which, if thoroughly investigated, may not be members of the revered Afenifere Youths.
Also, an ethnic card was considered relevant, hence the Afenifere Youths addition to raise the ante of the choreographed propaganda.
The group supported the lawmaker, who is not unaware of the huge investment being committed to the upgrade of the security infrastructure, the gallant efforts and sacrifice of officers and men, all of which for security reasons, one cannot disclose publicly.
Hon. Gagdi, who as a federal lawmaker, has all the access to obtain relevant information from either the Defence Headquarters or Ministry of Defence, personalised his criticism of the Defence Minister on the floor of the House.
He cited recent terrorist attacks, particularly in Borno State, where insurgents reportedly overran a military base, carting away 40 tanks and military platforms.
This, in Gagdi’s opinion, nullifies all the giant strides and gains made in the gruesome and intractable asymmetrical warfare.
Let us recall that prior to Badaru’s appointment as a minister, he served for eight years as Jigawa State Governor from 2015 to May 2023. Though fate made Jigawa one of the poorly secured border states of Nigeria to other countries, throughout the period it was the safest among the 19 northern states.
While bandits ran riot in other Northwest states, they found Jigawa a hard nut to crack.
For instance, the Lakaruwa bandits have been feeling the heat of the military offensive in Kebbi, Sokoto and other Northwest states. Many bandit leaders have been neutralised while those who are alive, such as the notorious Bello Turji, terrorising Zamfara and neighbouring states, have been on the run.
Early this year, Turji’s son and scores of his foot soldiers were killed by the military Special Forces.
Similarly, peace has considerably returned to southern Kaduna, which used to be one of the epicentres of banditry and kidnapping in Nigeria before the present government came into office.
Today, a military operational formation exists in the much-neglected Southern Zaria axis which has boosted military operations beyond the area.
In Plateau State, the home-state of Hon. Gagdi, where ethnic violence has claimed numerous lives, the Tinubu administration has also extended military frontiers to contain the violence in the hotpots.
Also, the capacity of the secessionist groups in the Southeast of Nigeria has been largely degraded, with kinetic and non-kinetic strategies like the hope raised by the establishment of South East Development Commission (SEDC).
In the fullness of time, SEDC with a huge budget, will show the people that their days of marginalisation are over.
Similarly, oil theft in the Niger Delta region has been reduced substantially, more via non-kinetic approach, thus safeguarding the economy of the country from the ruinous activities of economic saboteurs stealing crude, either for illegal exportation or refining.
Insecurity in Nigeria is more of a guerilla warfare and Gagdi and co ought to know that asymmetrical warfare is different from conventional warfare.
The insurgents, bandits and kidnappers live amongst us. At times, it is even difficult to identify the enemy. This is why a guerilla warfare in any part of the world often lasts longer than the conventional war.
Insecurity in Nigeria started almost a decade-and-half ago and successive governments did their best to tackle it.
All that is needed today is for all hands to be on deck as blame games gladden the terrorists.
All the military and by extension, federal government, need is prayers.
–Okechukwu, a former DG of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), writes from Abuja.
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