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By Lateef Adegbite
The last may not hhad been heard about the Bandits attack of the Nigerian Nigerian Defence Aademy, NDA, on Tuesday, ugust 24, 2921, despite the tight security in the military facility n Kaduna. Garba DShehu, senior Special Assistant to Prsident Muhammadu Buhari, a retired Army General, on Media and Publicity, may have spoken the mind of the Katsina state born Nigerian President when he said that ‘’the Bandits attack might have been politically motivated by those opposed to the retired Army General ‘’to embarrass him’’.
Appearing on Channels Television, monitored by the Value News on Wednesday, August 25, 2021, he disclosed that ‘’so may scenarios are being created why this Criminal act was carried out to isolate the sanctity of the military institution ‘’. He was forced to ask whether ‘’it is an opportunistic crime?
Given an insider information on how the Bandits found their way into the Academy despite the tight security, he had shocked Nigerians when he declared that ‘’ they came in in a vehicle and passed through the exit security gate , disguised in military uniforms, after which they proceeded to the officers quarters’’ to wreak havoc. Note that two officers were killed during the Bandits invasion of the NDA and another officer whose whereabouts remains unknown abducted.
Acting on the instruction of Lucky Irabor, An Army General and Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, who was on ground to carry out on the spot assessment of the of the attack on the military Institution by the alleged Bandits, was said o to have been briefed by Major General I.M. Yusuf , the NDA Commandant who was at the scene of the incident.
According to him the marauders who had attacked the Academy had escaped through the breaching barbwire fence along the Kaduna International Airport Road in Afaka Community which is surrounded by forest. This may have informed why the troops and other security operatives in Kaduna state have intensified the manhunt for the abducted soldier in the surrounding forest to rescue him.
. The question on the lips of most people was what the officers manning the Academy Close Circuit Television , CCTV were doing that they could capture their footage in the premises as to raise alarm. More worrisome was “why the officers at the exit gate could not stop the Bandits’ vehicle while approaching the gate for routine checks before allowing them to drive in.
Security analysts believe hat that it may have given them the opportunity to know whether they are Nigerian soldiers, Cadets or not in order know their purpose in the Academy .There inability to put on their intelligence garb sin the completely security environment speaks volume.
This may have informed why Kunle Olawunmi, a retired Commodore, who had been in the news in the recent time had said that the Bandits could not have found their way into the Academy , let alone attack, kill and abduct an officer without’’ the help of an insider Collaborations’’. He noted that during his 35 years in the service he had’’ handled cases of such nature. He allude to the fact in certain cases at least 60% o were’’ sell-outs by conniving with the enemy’’.
Hear him: We must Compromise somebody either through blackmail or through incentives, give money or try to indoctrinate that person to pave the way for them to have an easy passage to launch their attack and go. He believes that this may have been what happened while drawing a parallel between an element of surprise as used by the military and the brazing assault of NDA by those Bandits, he has described as terrorists because of their style of operation which is very revealing.
Cpmmodore Olawunmi, who was a former Commandant of the Defence Intelligence College, may have given a clue to the military Authorities on how to go about their investigation by stating the attack at the NDA Academy may not have been carried out by the north west based Bandits but by the late Abubakar Shekau led BokoHaram fighters and or the Al-Barnawi, led the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, who were said to have been sighted in the Camp of the Bandits at the Kaduna forest at different occasions. This is why the military must look beyond the Bandits in their investigation to get to the root of the matter.
The Nigerian President who is sad over the Bandits attack at the NDA, had told those cares to listen that , that it would not in any way dampen the morale of the military but rather buoy then to end the criminal activities in the north east, north west and other parts of the country.
Femi Adesina, Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity who had issued a Statement at the instance of the retired Army General , had said that ‘’ the attack at NDA, by the Bandits which led to the death of two officers , clearly shows that ‘’the Insurgents, Bandits, Kidnappers and other Criminals are on the retreat’’. Already, the aggrieved retired Army General has assured Nigerians that the death of the of ‘’the NDA officers would never be in vain’’, noting that ‘’the degenerate act would have consequence s that will eventually clean the country of vermin and emancipate the polity from deliberate , targeted and contrived atrocious acts’’.
But that may not stopped the Bandits from carry out their attacks in the north west states of Zamfara, Kaduna and Kattsina, particular, including the north central state of Niger, or the Insurgents launching attacks in the north east states of Borno and Yobe.
. On Wedsday, August 25, 2021, some suspected BokoHaram Insurgents who had targeted the Babangida military base, which is about 50 Km from Dapchi, where 110 students of the Government Girls Science and Technical College were kidnapped in 2018 in Yobe state were said to have been repelled by the Operation Hadin Kai troops. The troops were said to have recovered a Toyota Van from the attackers .
A soldier was confirmed killed when the Insurgents stormed the Babangida, Headquarters of Tarmuwa Local Government Area of the north eastern state. An eyewitness account said the Insurgents had arrived the Yobe Town with three Toyota Vans and drove straight to the military base which was their target.
The Operation Hadin Kai troops who had responded to the villagers distress call when they noticed the strange faces around he Babangida military base axis, were said to have moved in immediately. The two parties were said to have engaged in a g forcing the people to escape into the nearby bush for fear of being killed in the cross fire. The Insurgents were forced to flee when they could could no longer stand the superior fire of the Nigerian troops. The intensified attack of the Insurgents in Borno and Yobe states may have encouraged Ali Ndume, a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigerian and Chairman, Senate Commmitee on Army to plead with the Nigerian President to withdraw the blanket amnesty granted the Insurgents. Although, Babagana Zulum, a Professor and governor of Borno state, at a closed door meeting with the Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, last Tuesday had him not to bow to bow to pressure to reject the repentant Insurgents, to avoid prolongin the war in the region. Whether the Nigerian President would cue to his advice remains to be seen,.
