Reno Omokri is indeed a table shaker. He shakes the table at his whims and caprices. I envy his guts. He is not afraid to make his opinion known on issues of national importance. His recent trip by road to Kaduna from Abuja with scores of journalists is one of such instances.
He wanted to let us know that the once dangerous Abuja-Kaduna Road is now very safe for travel due to the efforts of our security agencies manning strategic positions on the long stretch. But he got it twisted this time around from a security standpoint. Some things are better left unsaid, especially when it comes to the operations of the military.
A little can be too much in this instance. Reno is a patriotic Nigerian. Not many would spend their hard-earned resources projecting the image of Nigeria to the world. Did you notice his beautiful attire? He came prepared. This is what makes him different from other content creators.
The Abuja-Kaduna Road has a long history of tears and blood. Once upon a time, commuters dreaded the road. Travelling safely on that stretch is regarded as a miracle. As a frequent traveller on that road, I knew some of the rules of engagement.
You are to ensure your car is in perfect shape. You must observe from a distance to identify any strange happenings ahead of you. You must wear attire that won’t hinder your pace in the event that your ability to run fast can save your life. You must also conceal your identity as much as possible and pray for divine protection. These and many more precautions are taken before embarking on a trip on that stretch of road.
Fast forward to today. The Abuja-Kaduna Road is one of the safest roads in the country. I agree with Reno. I knew this a long time ago, and in my usual manner, I authored an article titled “Abuja-Kaduna Road” in November 2023. https://www.thecable.ng/abuja-kaduna-road/
In the article, I stated that the return to normalcy on the road was a result of a joint military operation (Operation Whirl Punch) launched by the Defence Headquarters in 2018 to provide security and restore normalcy along the Kaduna-Abuja Road and its environs.
This operation is still in effect to date. I was careful not to give out sensitive information about this operation. I knew the implications as a military historian. This is what Reno Omokri didn’t know. He was excited about the trip and the fact that he went without the usual hordes of security operatives.
His intentions were not malicious. But his expressions can be regarded as a security compromise. He ignorantly gave out very sensitive information about the security strategy on that road.
In one of his posts on X, he said, “military outposts are stationed at every one kilometre on the previous kidnap hotspot on the road, which is about midway to Kaduna. They are manned 24/7, and any bandit or kidnapper that attempts anything on that road will meet their maker on that same day” https://x.com/renoomokri/status/1961129578992185419?s=08
This is too much for comfort. Military operations are not for content creation. They are intricate, and the stakes are high. No one should know that military outposts are stationed at every one kilometre on that stretch of road. It is confidential information.
But this piece of information is everywhere on social media. A notorious space that encourages the good, bad and ugly.
Reno Omokri laid it bare for all. He took pictures with security operatives, and there was also video footage of what the military outposts look like. I saw it. Adamu saw it. Olumide saw it. Kelechi saw it. A bandit leader saw it.
A terrorism financier saw it. And the list goes on. The question is what you and I do with that information would be different from what a bandit leader and terrorism financier would do with the same information. The outcomes are different in most instances. This is my point. Security is a national concern, and it is the responsibility of all.
We must be circumspect in telling stories about security operations. It was Ralph Nader, an American lawyer and politician, who said, “National security is the fig leaf against freedom of information.”. My interpretation is that sensitive information about military operations must be protected. It is not for public consumption.
I wonder how Reno Omokri gained access to the military outposts on the stretch of the road, with full media coverage. In one of the videos he posted, he was interviewed by the press with a military outpost behind him.
This is an aberration from a security standpoint. Military operations are not for grandstanding. The tendency to complicate things is higher than the objective.
The military authorities must reflect on Reno Omokri’s fact-finding expedition on the Abuja-Kaduna Road and its implications for National Security.
The exposures are indecent and have the potential to compromise the present security arrangement on the stretch of road. There is a possibility that some non-state actors, under the guise of content creation, could toe the line of Reno Omokri in visiting military outposts not just on the Abuja-Kaduna Road, but also other military operations across the country for espionage purposes. The world is a dangerous place.
Trojan horses are everywhere. One wrong move can be a huge setback, especially on successes recorded on the Abuja-Kaduna Road. Confidentiality is the bedrock of military operations, and it is always better to err on the side of caution. Reno Omokri slipped on this one. I hope he understands.
– Ocheja, PhD, specializes in the documentation of the military histories of Nigeria and Africa.
