Insecurity: Nigerian Military   deploys full Strength To Deal With Non-State Actors; ECOWAS: Threatens Niger, Burkina Faso And Mali’s Membership

By Lateef Adegbite

The Nigeria military High Command appears to have realized that the country is not only fighting the localnon-state actors but also waging war against terrorists who had infiltrated the ranks of the local terrorists from neighbouring, Chad Niger Republic, Mali Burkina Faso and Central African country of Cameroun.

 This may have informed why the combat Troops   have strategized in the 30 of the 36 states of the Federation where there is ongoing counter-terrorism war. The success that was said to have been achieved by Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oloyede, led Nigerian Army with the support of the Nigerian AirForce, under the close watch of  Air Marshall Hassan Bala Abubakar,  overseeing the country’s  air operations,  may have sent a message to the notorious Bandits Group gang leader,  Bello Turji, and his collaborators, terrorizing the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna , Katsina and the north central state of Niger and the Islamic Fundmentalist Group, BokoHaram and the Islamic State of West African Province , ISWAP,,  operating in the north eastern state of Borno and Yobe and the Bandits I Tara state  that  it is no longer  business as usual.

Turji:take advantage of the vast forests between Nigeria and Niger to run for cover

The notorious bandits Group gang Leader, Turji, who had been on the wanted list of the Nigerian military may have known that the game is up that he now shuttles between his forest camp in Nigeria and Niger Republic for consultation with other Bandits Group Leaders from other parts of the Sahel region to sustain the tempo of terrorism in the north western and north central regions and some parts of the north eastern region.

The Bandit Group Leader may have known that his life is in danger with the elimination of some of his close associates like Bako Wurji, popular, Bako Garba, who was said to have killed Isa Mohammed Bawa, Emir of Gobir in Sokoto state and Al’jan, who had been terrorizing residents of Tsafe Local Government Area in Zamfara, home state of Bello Matawalle , minister of state , Defense, under President Tinubu’s Administration.

The elimination of one Alhaji Maoli, another notorious bandits Group, kingpin, in Zamfara state by Troops of Operation Fansan Yamma on Thursday, December 26, 2024 may have dampened the enthusiasm of Turji, the self- acclaimed bandits Group leader that terrorism operations in Nigeria is as good as having been lost.

The battle that was said to have resulted in the death of the Bandits Group gang leader, Maoli, was said to have fought at Mai Sheka village, near Kunchin Kalgo town, described as one of the local Communities that had suffered under the deceased terrorist reign of terror in the north western state of Zamfara.

Until his death, Maoli was said to be notorious for imposing illegal levies on residents of Unguwan Rogo, Mai Sheka, Magazawa and other surrounding areas in the Bilbis district of Tsafe LGA, in Zamfara state, to raise Funds for the Bandits Group operations. Many see the elimination of the Turji’s close Associates as a big blow to his operations and the Bandits Group, which leads in Nigeria.

 The elimination of the Terror kingpin, Maoli, may have encouraged Abubakar Abdullahi, an Army Lt. Colonel and the Coordinator of the Media Operation Cener, Operation Fasan Yamma to declare that his death has brought relief   to the residents of Communities, who had suffered in the deadly terrorist hands over the years.  Only recently, Troops of the Operation Fansan Yamma, in in Zamfara state had arrested two major logistics suppliers of the notorious Turji’s Bandits Group gang in the state.

 Also, the north central theatre of Operation Fansan Yamma, were said to have also apprehended   two other arms and ammunition couriers for Turji’s Bandits Group gang identified as Danweri and Abubakar Hamza. The duo were said to have been arrested in Alkari LGA, of Bauchi state by the vigilante group who were said to have collaborated with the Troops to facilitate their arrest and subsequent detention as a deterrence to other logistics suppliers who might still be working behind the scene for Turji and other Bandits Group gangs.

In spite of the fact that  the Nigerian soldiers  are working round the clock to crush the Bandits Group fighters in the north western states of Zamfara  and other flash point states in the region, the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram and the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, militants operating in the north eastern states of Borno and Yobe including the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, allegedly founded by Nnadi Kanu, currently in the custody of the  Department of State Security  DSS, and the Eastern Security Network, ESN, are worried that the table have turned  against them.  

 The situation appears to be more worrisome in the south eastern state of Imo, described as haven for the IPoB and Eastern Security Network, ESN, loyalists   where there appears to be a repeat of what had happened during the 30 months -old fratricidal Nigeria-Biafra civil war with much of the casualty on the Biafra side. The activities of the 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze, Imo state, who were said to have risen up to the challenge, to checkmate the activities of the IPoB/ESN, militants in the south eastern state of speaks volume.

Weapons recovered from IPoB, ESN, by Troops of 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze, Imo state

The acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 34, Artillery Brigade,  in Imo state,who has given an insight of a recent battle at Osina Community, in  Ideato Local Government Area   of the south eastern state between the 34 Artillery Brigade Troops, returning from routine patrols, and the IPoB/ESN, militants, clearly shows that that the Nigerian military  have all that it takes to crush the militants.

 Although, two soldiers were said to have been killed in the gun duel   another soldier missing in the process but that had not stopped the combat Troops from pushing on to overpower the militants forcing them to flee into the forest to escape arrest or being killed by the fierce looking soldiers. The IPoB and ESN, militants may have succeeded in taking away from the fallen soldiers their   weapons, including an AK 47 rifle and tear gas Launcher but could not use it.

This is because  IPoB/ESN, militants who had engaged  the Troops of 34 Artillery Brigade in a gun duel at Osina Community in Ideato LGA, who had  escaped  were said to have caught up at Nkwachi Community, leading to another intense   exchange of bullets. A resident of the Osina Community had said that the soldiers gave their all to force the militants who could not stand their superior fire power to flee.

Determined to deal with the fleeing criminal elements, the 34 Artillery Brigade soldiers, were said to have pressed deeper into the Umalouma forest, which is their hideout where a fierce encounter was said to have ensued with the soldiers gaining the upper hand

. There are indications that Troops of the 34 Artillery Brigade, who were said to have used their superior firepower to overwhelm the IPoB/ESN, fighters had recovered five AK-47, rifles, Fabrique Nationale rifle, two Magazines and one tear gas launcher, believed to have been stolen from the fallen soldiers.

 There is no gain saying the fact that the Special Forces and Brigades, fight different battles across the country and who appears to be acting out the script of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President and Commander In Chief, C-In-C, of the Nigerian Armed Forces, to crush the terrorists ahead of the 2027, general elections are leaving no stone unturned to do so.

This may have informed why Christopher Musa, Chief of Defense Staff, CDS, could beat his chest that the Nigerian Troops and the JTF, in their various operations in the recent time in different parts of the country have lived up to expectation as they have successfully ‘’turned the tide against the bandits and other violent extremists across the country’’ noting that ‘’the support base of the Bandits groups have equally been dislocated’’ as a result of the ongoing operations.

Given the success that had been achieved by the military and the JTF, in dealing with the terrorists operating in the country  and the  six months timeline  that had been read out to Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, military Leaders   by the Authority of the Heads of  States and Government  of the  member countries of the Economic and West African States, ECOWAS, to reconsider their decision  of withdrawing  from the economic bloc  may have  sent a message to  them that there is danger ahead.

The Nigerien Leader, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, particular, fears that withdrawal from the regional economic bloc by the tail end of January,2025, will expose the three Sahel region countries to the activities of the terrorists which may destabilize their newly formed alliance.

At a recent Summit of the Authority of Heads of States and Governments of the ECOWAS, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, under the Chairmanship of President Tinubu of Nigeria, the economic bloc, had announced a six -month period for the three former member countries of the sub-regional body, urging them ‘’to reconsider their decision, with their official departure scheduled for the end of January, 2025.

Generals Tchiani, the Nigerien Head of State, Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso, and Assimi   Goita of Mali, described as the arrow head of the Alliance for Sahel States, AES, were said to have rejected the six months’ time lag given to them to reconsider their decision to withdraw from the ECOWAS, believing that it is another attemptby the French Authorities and its auxiliaries   to continue planning and carrying out  destabilizing  actions against the AES.

 The Army Generals may not have come out to tell their citizens the truth as they fear, that completely withdrawing from the ECOWAS, with the poor state of their economy without any hope of any external support either from France or any western nation including the North American country of the United States, US and the ECOWAS, would completely collapse their economy.

 It is not surprising why the three West African countries political Leaders who had formed the AES, are still dilly dallying whether to stick to their decision to withdraw from the ECOWAS at the tail end of January, 2025, or return back to the body and quickly organize elections in their respective to facilitate return to Democratic Rule as obtained in other African countries,

 At present terrorists using these countries as their base to operate are entering   the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina and the north central state of Niger including the north eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Taraba because of the vast forest joining the countries with the Nigeria and common border between them.

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