By Suleiman Umaru
President Muhammadu Buhari, may have known that Nigeria cannot afford to fight another civil war after the 167- 1970, that he has called on political Leaders irrespective of the political persuasion ‘’to remain focused and uphold the ultimate objective of promoting the interest of the country.
The Kasina state born Nigerian President may have read he handwriting on the wall that the Islamic Fundamentalist Group BokoHaram and the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP and the Bandits Group, have cause enough havoc in he the north.
Particular, the northeast states of Adamawa , Borno , Yobe and north west states of Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and the Caliphate state of Sokoto including the North central Niger, home state of Ibrahim Babangia, a retired Army General and former military President are bleeding.
Many prominent norners fear that any attempt to through the country into another civil war which may likely be fought along tribal lines, the country will be worse for it, particular, the north which is already feeling the pinch of terrorism and Banditry activities
. This is because oKoko Haram, Group, and ISWAP, its splinter Group, in 2015, had taken advantage of the political instability in the North African country of Libya fueling terrorism in the entire Sahel region, west and central African sub –regions, including the Bandits Group , which had escalated to Nigeria from the Mahradi region of Niger Republic, to intensify their fight in the north east and north west geopolitical regions respectively to effectively control and declare it as their own Caliphate.
President Mohammmed Bazoum of Niger had said that the Bandits had enter his home country from Libya, through the Madaw and Baya Dutsi regions and the regions are still very porous despite Nigeria government support to help the neighboring West African country police its borders to contain the trans-border Bandits.
It was not surprising that why the Katsina state born Nigerian President and the service Chiefs are doing everything within their powers to weaken the terrorists Groups and other Criminal elements across the country to prevent the country from being balkanized. Hear him: We are Nigerians, God willing we will remain Nigerians and Nigerian will remain one. He had alluded to the fact that with the three years of the three years interval of the civil war and the advent of terrorism and Banditry in the country in the country between 2009 and now, ‘’a million of people have been killed to keep this country together’’.
Determined to weaken the various terrorists and Banditry Groups in the north and put Nigeria together before handing over to the next government in May 29, 2023, may have informed why the Nigerian President as given a matching order to the service Chiefs and their troops to send the criminal elements to their creator.
As a prelude to weakening the capability of the terrorists and Bandits Group to fight the Nigerian military may have informed why Air Marshall Oladayo Amoo, Chief of Nigerian Air Force, NAF, and his theare Commanders are all out to neutralise the terrorists and Bandits Group top Commanders to end the high level of insecurity in the north state of Borno, home of the terrorists.
On Wednesday ,August 3, 2022, Aljaji Modu, a notorious BokoHaram, popular Bem Be,m, because of his skill in handling guns , who was trained by the Malian Terrorists gang leader Ali Nagoshe was said to have been killed around the Mandara mountains I the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno, home state of Kashim Shettima, All Progressive Congress, APC, Vice Presidential Candidate for the 203, general elections. The alleged notorious BokoHaram Commander , who was said to commandeered the displacement of Bama, a fihing community in in the north east state in 2014, and the killing of hundreds of persons , including soldiers before declaring it a Caliphate state and Nagoshe, his supervising Commander from Mali, wo were said to have been hiding inside caves in the Mandara mountain where they Coordinating the activities of the attacks of the insurgents in Nigeria, Niger and the central African country of Camerron, were said to have been hit by military air strikes.
Recall that Air Marshall, had told the Operational Commanders ‘’to show no mercy and ensure they employ maximum fire power against the terrorists and Bandits posing security in the country’’.
Whle BokoHaram fighters are still mourning the death, of Modu, one of their top Commanders and motivator, and who has been involved in training the Bandits Group fighters I the north west geo-political region, and ensure improved working relationship between the two Groups, the NAF, was said to have killed, one Alhaji Shanono, a Bandits Group Leader, following an operation in Kaduna state.
Edward Gabkwe, an Air Force Commodore, and spokesperson of NAF, had that the Bandits Group Leader was killed ‘’following receipt of intelligence on August 9, 2022, that a well-known terrorists kingpin, Shanono, , had scheduled a meeting with his foot soldiers at Ukambo, a village about 131 Km from Kaduna, the state capital.
The receipt of the information may have forced the air wing of Operation Whirl Punch to dispatch one of Craft for interdiction mission at the location. Overhead the location, they were said to have sighted the Bandits under clusters of trees at the foot of Ukambo village high ground, after ensuring that there are no civilian settlements aroundthe location. The Crew were said to have receive the authorization to strike, leading to the estruction of 30 rifle, 20 motorbikes. 18 of the Bandits Group fighters were said to have beeb killed during the air strike including, Shanono, their Leader.
The death of the two top Commanders of BokaHaram and Bandits Group in the hands of the Nigeria military appear to have become a big blow to the two Terrorist Groups as they struggle with the Malian terrorists Gang supporters to bounce back to life to sustain their attack in their respective regions.
