By Suleiman Umaru
Ibrahim Traore, an Army Captain led military Junta of Burkina Faso, deployment of modern military equipment manufactured by the Turkish Defense companies, Baykar , Akinci and the Asia country of China Ammunition manufacturing Company , Norinco, against terrorists Groups operating in the country the Islamic sta likete the Greater Sahara, ISGS and the Ja’a Nusrat ul-Ilam al Musmin, JNIM- GS, Group appears to be yielding results.
According to informed security sources JNIM, which is a terrorist group based in Mali, but active across much of the West African countries, including Burkina Faso and Republic of Niger, a neighboring country to Nigeria are no longer finding it funny as they appear to have been caged gasping for breath.
T four extremist groups, Ansar al Din, al –Murabitun, the Macina Liberation Front, MLF, and the Sahara Emirate Group of al Qa’ida in the lands of the Islamic Maghreb, AQIM, operating in Burkina Faso, over the years were said to have merged to form a formidable terrorist Group to confront the state as the terrorist Group fighters are virtually in 10 out of the 13 regions that make up the country.
Only recently, the Burkinabe Government which was said to have taken delivery of some 100 new armoured vehicles from the Chinese ammunition manufacturing company, Norinco as it continues to strengthen its armed forces in the face of the relentless terror attacks in the northern part of the country. Recall that on June 6, 2024 , the country took delivery of 40 Norinco VP11 and an additional 50 Norinco CS VP14 armoured vehicles and seven Caterpilar excavators, to strengthen the enforcement of the operational capabilities of the fighting forces on ground .
The formation of a Confederation of the Sahel States, by the military Leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, after being suspended from, the Economic Community of West African from States, ECOWAS, under the Leadership, of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may have sent jittery down the spines of the terrorists operating in the three countries.
Determined to deal a decisive blow on the unrepentant terrorists, Capt. Traore, the Burkinabe military Leader who was may have set the ball rolling for Mali and Niger to follow when he told the country’s the soldiers that they are in a world of predation and that to bring about peace ,’’ they must wage war’’ against the terrorists. This may have emboldened the solders to go all out for war against the terrorists in the 10 out of the 13 regions of the country they have constantly attacked between 2014 and now to control.
Given that the extremist Burkinabe terrorists could no longer stand the country’s military to gain more ground may have informed why many of them have relocated to Nigeria through the north eastern states of Borno, Yobe, where the Islamic Fundamentalist Group , Boko Haram insurgents operate and the neighbouring Republic of Niger and Mali.
Indeed, the Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, based terrorists who were said to have entered Nigeria, going by the reports the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, Housa service, were said to have taken over the Kainji forests in the north central state of Niger.
This is a clear indications that the military, Nigerian Customs service , NCS, and other security agencies personnel, have to be more vigilant to forestall the smuggling of small and light and weapons into the country to sustain the tempo of terrorism and Banditry in the country.
The recent seizure of N1.5 billion assorted fire arms drones and military accoutrements from the Eurpean country of Turkey at Murtala Mohammed, MMIA, Area Command , of the NCS, as announced by Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, the Customs Comptroller General, speaks volume.
As a prelude to making the seizure, the Customs Authorities were said to have acted on information from both local and international collaborators making possible for the officers to be stationed at the exit points around the airport to ensure that that there is no escape route for the importer with his agent.
The Customs Comptroller General had said that during the examination of the pellets, anitem that was discovered was suspected to be part of the Pump Action riffle from a Console consignment with airway bill Number 235-5873755, originating from Turkiye.
This may have informed why the entire consignment was said to have been isolated for thorough examination. At the end of the examination process at the MMIA, terminal, it was established, according to an insider that the four packages were used to conceal 55 pieces of assembled Jojef Magnum Tomahawk, semi-automatic shotgun. The concealed shotguns were said to have been concealed using shower faucet.
The Duty Paid Value, DPV, of these weapons, going by Valuation experts report was N20,888,109.29. The experts had put the value the military accoutrements at N1.29 billion bring the total DPV, of the improperly imported assembled rifles and accoutrements at N1.5 billion.
Given an inside information , the no nonsense Customs Comptroller General, who is determined to cause more troubles for the gunrunners, across the country, had said that the reakdown of the seized items includes 148 pieces of drones, 172 pieces of ballistic helmet, eight piece of walkie-takie
This is in addition to 9,1772 pieces of military and paramilitary badges and 20 pieces of camouflage military uniform, 100 pieces of Camouflage vest, 172 pieces of camouflage cap and 120 pieces of binoculars.
Recall that on June 1, 2024, the Onne Customs Command which has Compt. Mohammed Babandede, as the Area Controller, had intercepted and seized 844 Pump Action Rifles 12,500 ammunition worth about N14 billion at the Federal Oncean Lighter Terminal, FLT, port, Onne, Rivers state, in doors, furniture and bags.
The Customs helmsman, who was said to have put his ears on the ground to ascertain what is happening at the nation’s seaports, airports and Land border areas in the recent timehad said that Onne arms shipment was loaded in a 40ft.Container with registration Number MAEU15396, which had originated from the usual source, Turkiye.
The Customs boss who could not hide his feelings had said that the suspected 40ft Container found at the Onne port became a subject of interest to the service based on ‘’the number of risk factors associated with the importation’’. Recall the Pump Action Rifles uncovered in the 40ft Container examined at the Onne port had been concealed using various items such as doors, furniture, plumbing fittings and leather bags. The DPV, of the Onne port, arms illegal imports was put about Nn4.2 billion.
The seizure of the huge consignments of several arms units at the Onne port and MMIA, Area Command, Ikeja, Lagos, the nation’s Commercial erve centre, which both for the vigilance of NCS, personnel could have entred into the Nigerian market and fallen into the hands of the criminal elements in the seve flash point northern states and Rivers state, where there is serious political tension, could have heightened the crisis in the state.
The seizure of the hundreds of piece of arms units at both Onne port and MMIA Area, Command, within the month of June, which were said to have been concealed and packaged using the same items, clearly shows that it was purchased and the export facilitated from Turkiye to the Nigerian seaport and MMia Area Command by the same unscrupulous Nigerian gunrunner based in Turkiye.
Although five suspects had been arrested and currently in detention in connection with the arms units improper imports through the Onne port, a suspect was said to have been arrested in connection with he MMIA Area Command arms importation.
The arrested suspects who may likely be the importer’s agent are to be handed over to the National Centre for the Contrl of Small Arms and Ligt Weapons, under the office of National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police AIG and former Chairman, of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for proper diligent investigation and prosecution.
With the mass exodus of terrorists from the West African countries of Burkina Faso , Mali Niger and Chad , including Cameroun may have informed wh Godswill Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom state led Senate to have asked the military on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, ‘’to deploy modern technological hard wares to contain the activities of the terrorists operating in Nigeria.
The Senatrs may have supported the use of more sophisticated military weapons to deal decisively with the terrorists because of the intensified their suicide bombing in the recent time in the north eastern state of Borno, described as their home base, of the insurgents.The suicide bombers in Gwoza, Borno state, in which over 30 persons were said to have been killed and ecores of others injured.The Gwoza incident may have sent a message to residents of the neighbouring Yobe state by the suicide bombers that they are coming to do what they know best : suicide bombing.
Senator Ali Ndume, who is worried about the return of suicide bombing in Borno, his home state, had said that there is urgent need to stem the tide of the ugly menace before it gets out of hand. In doing so, Senator Adms Oshiomhle, who incidentally was a former governor of Edo state and Chairman of All Progressive Congress, APC, would want the Senate not only to seek to provide more funds for the army , particular, but jealously monitor the procurement process to avoid a repeat of what happened in the past where previous service Chiefs had diverted funds meant for procurement of arms and ammunitions.
An aggrieved former Edo state governor had said without any apology that the previous service Chiefs rather than deploying public funds towards the purchase of security equipment and modern technology had diverted it towards ‘’ building Universities and purchasing yacts’’.
While the security situation in Borno , particular, is getting messier, the Bandits Group operating in the north western states of Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Niger, home state of former military President , Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Benue and Plateau, appears to be swelling in rank because of the influx of the Burkinabe, Mali, Niger, Chad and Cameeroon, terrorists who could no longer stand their respective country military strength have relocated to Nigeria and taken over the Kainji forests in the north ventral state of Niger, is worrisome.
The Federal Lawmakers were said to have urged the Bola Ahmed inubu , led APC, government to stop procrastinating on what to do about the country’s security challenges . The Lawmakers would want the President ‘’ to ask the security agencies to make concerted efforts in ensuring that that Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Niger states, described as the hotspots inhabited by the terrorists, particular, the Lake Cha region, Sambissa Forest and the Mandara Mountains including the Kainji forest , which is one of the newly occupies forests by the terrorists in Nigeria are cleared.
