Insecurity: Nigeria Wearies Over Incessant Battles, Loss of Lives

By Suleiman Umaru

In spite of efforts by General Christoher Musa, Chief of Defense Staff, CDS, and the service Chiefs to restore normalcy in the war thorn 30, out of the 36 states of the Federation, the situation appears to have become messier in the recent time.

This is because the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, Boko Haram, Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, and Bandits Group, including Indigenous People of Biafra, founded by Nnamdi Kanu, currently in Department of State Security, DSS, custody and the Eastern Security Network, ESN, have made a mockery of the counter-terrorism war   being fought in different parts of the country to bring the security situation under control.

ISWAP Insurgents ambush attack of a military base in Daboa, Bono state

 The ISWAP , insurgents, attack on a Forward Operating Base , FOB, , sector II,  in Damboa Local Government rea of Borno state, on Saturday, January 4, 2025,, barely a week, after the new Year, Celebrations, where an unconfirmed number of Nigeria soldiers were said to have been killed and some others reportedly missing bear eloquent testimony to the fact that the counter-terrorism war is becoming messier, with the infiltration of foreign mercenaries into the ranks of the Criminal elements.

The ISWAP, insurgents who were said to said to have engaged the Troops of FOB, in a gun duel, for more than two years without any reinforcement from the Operation Hadin Kai, OPHK, troops from Maiduguri, Capital of Borno state, could beat their chest that they have succeeded in’’ the Operation Kill and Go’’.

  the hoodlums, who were said to have been armed with sophisticated weapons, which may have informed why they could set buildings and military vehicles ablaze before disappearing into the dense Timbuktu Triangle region in Mali, forest as they could no longer stand the superior fire of the soldiers who had the backing of the OPHK, air component, which had deployed combat aircraft to intercept the fleeing insurgents may have known that the game is up.

Many believe that the ISWAP Group, increasing dominance of the Lake region following the death of Abukar Shekarau, the then Boko Haram Leader, in the hands of the rival militant group, may have forced hundreds of HIS followers to team up with the bureaucratic ISWAP, in enhancing their operational capabilities to attack a military base without any fear of the dire consequences.

Nigerian troops who repelled ISWAP Insurgents who had ambushed a military base in Damboa, Borno state

They may may gotten wrong this time around.  The air Component of the Operation Hadin Kai, which over the years had been supporting the ground troops to tackle the ISWAP, non- Muslim combatants and JAS members from the West African countries of Mali and Chad, in the Lake Chad region, may have clipped their wings.

The air component of the OPHK, which may have sent a message to the IWAP Group, that had attacked a FOB, Damboa, destroyed military buildings and operational vehicles that they have bitten more than they chew as the OPHK, were said to have dealt a decisive blow on the insurgents, killing many of them through air bombardment and inflicting severe injuries on several others who were said to have escaped with it.

ISWAP Insurgents neutralised by NAF, in Borno state on January, 4, 2025

The ISWAP, fighters were said to have been located in their hidings at Farin Ruwa, within the Timbukutu Triangle, thus  giving room to  the OPHK, Air Force personnel to carry out precision strikes that was said to have destroyed their motorcycles, while ensuring heavy casualty on them.

Bello Turji’s led Bandits Group gang, terrorizing the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kebbi and which had had been pushed underground in Katsina state by the deceased Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the immediate Chief of Army Staff, CoAs, forcing the gang to concentrate their operation and kidnapping activities in Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina states, leading to the emergence of the Lakurawa Group, from Republic of Niger to support their operations in the north western state of Kebbi and others of the region, may have taken a cue from ISWAP, successful attack on a military base in FOB, Damboa, to launch a renewed attack in Jibia Local Government of the north western state of Katsina on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, kidnapping many.

 It was an opportunity for Operation FASAN YAMMA, which had  Coordinated a Joint Operations alongside troops from the 17 Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Nigerian AirForce, NAF, , DSS, Community Watch Corps and Local Vigilantes  which had targeted their hideouts in Kadoji Matso-Matso, Bagga, Dogon Marke and Tskatsaba areas in Jibia LGA, of the state, where no fewer than 80 militants were killed  and ssome others  inflicted with injuries, which security experts had said that they may not survive it.

There is no gainsaying the fact that with credible intelligence, the Joint forces, had struck at the Camps that had been the hubs for escalating banditry in Jibia, Batsari and Batagawrawa Local Areas of the former President Muhammadu Buhar, home state, thus weakening the capacity of the notorious bandits group leader and his follower to launch furth attacks in the state.

Nasir Muazu, Commissioner for Internal Security in the north western state, who could not hide his feelings had applauded the Nigerian Army for taking the battle to the bandits group camp where many of their fighters were killed, several others injured and their operational facilities destroyed, stating that ‘’the Joint operation was a vital step toward restoring peace in the state and the wider north western geopolitical region.

The situation in the north western states Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and the north eastern state of Borno state, may not be different from what is happening in the north central states of Plateau and Niger where the Nigerian military had been put to task.

. The worrisome situation in Plateau state, particular, where Operation SAFE HAVEN, were said w to be giving it to the militants and other killer gangs, who were said to have resorted to propaganda of Human Rights abuse to draw the international attention against the Nigerian state may have failed them.

Gen. Musa: CDS

The CDS, was said to have charged the Troops of the newly established, 2 National Mission Brigade in Samau Kataf, Kaduna state and Troops of Sector 8, Mangu, Plateau state’’ to respect and protect Citizen rights while conducting their operations’’ to bring normalcy in the north central state without loss of innocent lives.

Notwithstanding, the repeated attacks by the Turji led Bandits gang and his Commanders in Communities in Zmfara, Sokoto Katsina states and other  parts of the north western geopolitical region, the Defense Headquarters, had described  Turji, the acclaimed Leader of the bandits group as a ‘’dead man walking’’.

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