By Suleiman Umaru
Bulama Bukarti, a Nigerian based security expert with Tony Blair, a former Prime Minister of Britain, Institute of Global Change, has tasked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to investigate where Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, a terrorist Organisation, affiliated to the notorious Group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS, but operation in the nor eastern state states of Borno and Yobe, are getting their high-seed internet technology and drones from in order to block it.
Bukarti had said that the investigation would help the Lagos state born Nigerian President’’ to know where ‘’the terrorists group are getting the money, training and guidance’’, which have prolonged the crisis in the Lake Chad region between 2009 and now.
The Nigerian born security expert based in the United Kingdom, UK, had said that that the Nigerian government has to double its efforts in the investigation without further delay because of the way and manner the group is moving to acquire the drones and high-speed internet technology to coordinate their attacks in Borno and Yobe states, which are within the Lake Chad Basin.
He may have given Nuhu Ribadu, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, and Who incidentally was a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and now the Nigerian President Security Adviser including the service and Intelligence Chiefs a clue on what to do when he disclosed that in the last few months the group have improved their access to the internet by getting linked to the Thuraya, a satellite internet services provider from Lagos and , the nation’s commercial nerve centre and Chad Republic.
The Nigerian born London based based o security expert had said that the high-speed internet helps the terrorists group connectivity in the remote areas of the Lake Chad region and communicate with other terrorist groups across the world to coordinate their attacks in the Lake Chad region.
The security expert may have hocked Nigerians when he said that the ISWAP insurgents has a vehicle with thuraya internet hardware mounted on it used while carrying out their attacks in Maiduguri , Capital of Borno state and other Locations within the state.
Appearing on Channels Television, on Friday, June 16, 2023, who had said that the ISWAP terrorists have been using the drone experiments for intelligence- gathering over the last five years and combat would want the Nigerian President to do everything within his powers to ensure that the supply routes used by the terrorist organization working with ISIS in Iraq and Syria to get the drones are blocked.
Bukarti, had said that the situation in the Lake Chad Basin, where ISWAP, an affiliate of ISIS is’’ upping its combative capacity is worrisome’’. He asserted in one of their attack in Borno, Vice President Kashim Shettima, home state, they took a drone photo of the Pulka, military base they were going to attack and they attacked when they saw what was inside .
They may not have succeeded in the planned attack last April, as the Troops of of 21 Armoured Brigade of Operation Hdin Kai, OPHK, in the Bama , a fishing Community Area of the state , in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF, and 199 Special Forces Battalion were said to have repelled the ISWAP, attack on the outskirts of the town , forcing them to flee back to the Sambisa , forest , their operational base in Borno.
Bukarti, the Nigerian born security expert, had said that with what the ISWAP Group are to do ‘’ trialing delivery drones for intelligence gathering to coordinate their attacks, marks ‘’the third phase of the ongoing development for gathering information that would facilitate their targets on their target areas in Borno and Yobe States.
Given an insight to what the group appears to doing at present, Bukarti had said that the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change to experiment how to put explosives on drones to Launch attacks in Borno state and oter parts of the Lake Chad Basin. Aworried Bukarti, had said that if they succeed in doing that, then, the country the region would witness more deadly attacks from their air. Given his security background, he had said that the attacks may not require fighters or suicide bombers, noting that it would prolong the crisis in the Lake Chad region, insisting that Tinubu, and his security Advisers and the service Chiefs must not allow this to happen.
The Nigerian President may have known that he cannot afford to fail in containing what Asari Dokubo, had described as’’the full scale wars going on in the different parts of the country. He may have alluded to the ISWAP and Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram, operating in the Lake Chad Basin, Bandits Group, terrorising the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna and Katsina, home state of former President Muhammadu Buhari and Niger, home state of Ibrahim Babangida, a retired Army and first Nigerian military President.
He was said to have made reference to the Indigenous People of Biafra , IPOB, founded by Nnamdi Kalu, now in Department of State Security, DSS, custody and the Eastern Security Network , waging war against the government of Nigeria in the south east geopolitical region , during discussion with the President.His worry was that the activities of these groups in their various areas of operations, across the country, have resulted in many Local government areas been deserted , schools and hospitals close.
President Tinubu, may have known that he has a pact with Nigerians that at a recent meeting with the security and Intelligence agencies Chiefs, he has asked to the nation from terror and other forms of criminality that had continuously threatened the peace of the country and the West and Central African sub-regions over the last one decade.
He was said to have made it clear to security and Intelligence Chiefs , that ‘’security shall top priority of the new Administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence in any society.
This may have informed why he has promised that that the new Administration shall ‘’invest more in country’s security personnel , provide better training , combat equipment and firepower for them to decisively with the various groups terrorising the country. He knew that he needed to motive the troops and nyelligence officers to do their work that he was said to have also promised to increase their monthly take home pay.
Tinubu,may have used the opportunity of the top level security meeting to speak his mind warning them against working at cross purposes under his Administration. He was said to have appealed to them ‘’to work together in a coordinated manner to achieve a single purpose of tackling the challenges of terrorism insurgency , banditry , oil theft ,piracy and sea robbery in Nigeria waters and the Gulf of Guinea, to complement the efforts of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, under the Leadership, of Bashir Jamoh, OFR.
Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, led Nigerian Navy , may not have found Dokubo’s allegations funny.Adedotun Ayo- Vaughan, a Commodore and Director of Information , Nigerian Navy, had described the ex-Niger Delta’s allegations as spurious.
The Naval spokesperson, would want Dokubo, to name those involved in Crude oil theft in the country, stating that ‘’nobody is afraid’’. He had said that Dokubo could make such allegations to gain some form of relevance in the new government. He has told those that cares to listen that that the Navy, THROUGH ITS oPeration Dakata da Barawo, over the years had recorded tremendous successes in the fight against oil theft in the Niger Delta region.
Commodore Vaughan, noted between April I , 2022 ,and June 12, 2023, the Navy recorded the arrest of of 131 suspects , 17 vessels, destruction of 519 illegal mining sites , deactivation of 261 storage tanks with 569 wooden boats and demobilization of 69 vehicles in the region.
He was said to have further stated that through the efforts of Vice Admiral Gambo, led Navy, oil thieves were denied over 11.9 million barrels of Crude oil , 45.1 million litres of refined diesel, 2.4 million litres of , Dual Purpose Kerosene, DPK, as well as over 372,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popular, petrol. The Naval spokesperson has put the value of the seized refined Petroleum Products at about N72 million, based on the current market price, in the Nigeria oil market.
The Naval Director of Information would want Dokubo , to stop taking advantage of situations to open his mouth too wide to make controversial statements , noting that ‘’the Nigerian Navy is actively involved in ‘’the fight against oil theft in the Niger Delta region’’. He had said that that the ex-Niger Delta, could make such allegations, which the Nigerian President has promised to investigate, ‘’to curry his favour ‘’.
