By Lateef Adegbite
In spite of the high level of insecurity in different parts of the Nigeria over the last two decades, which had threatened the unity of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired army Genera,l had said that his government is doing everything possible ‘’to tackle the numerous security challenges’’ .
As a prelude to tackling the security challenges, Garba shehu, a Senior Special Assistant to the Katsina state born Nigerian President on Media and Publicity, had said that the Nigerian President had directed Farouk Yahaya, a Major General and Chief of Army Staff, COAS, and other security agencies Chiefs with their men ‘’to redouble their efforts and respond to the security threats posed by the Islamic Fundamental Group, BokoHaram, and the Islamic state of The West African Province, ISWP, including the Bandits operating in the north west states of Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina, Buhari , home state.
This is in addition to confronting the security challenges posed by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in the south east states of Abia, Anambra, Eboyi, Enugu and Imo. The Nigerian President was said to have commended the Intelligence agencies for the secrecy maintained in arresting Nanmdi Kanu, the acclaimed Leader of the IPOB, outside the shores of the country and repatrating him to the country to face his continued trial and the recent attack on Sunday Adeyemo, popular, Igboho, who is at the forefront for Odua Republic agitation in his Ibadan, Capital of Oyo state, residence. He had seen the duo as the major problem of the government working for the disintegration of Nigeria at all costs.
The Retired army General, may have been forced to give a marching to the security agencies Chiefs and their personnel to redouble their efforts to confront the Criminal gangs across the country, following the recent killing of 24 persons in Dabna, a farming Community, in Dugwaba ,in Hong Local Government Area, which is about three kilometers from Graha, the home town of Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the government of the Federation in Adamawa state, north east Nigeria.
The Dabna Farming Community was said to have been attacked on Thursday, July 8, 2021, by suspected BokoHaram insurgents who may have crossed over to the village to wreck the havoc from the Central African country of Cameroon. The worry of the Nigerian President was the return of insurgency in the north east state which had witnessed peace over the last couple of years. The suspected BokoHaram insurgents were said to have killed a Villanntee Leader and the Head of theDabna village as well as setting houses and shops ablaze. This may have informed why the Nigerian President had urged the security Chiefs’’ to promptly and decisively respond to the security threats’’.
There are fears that with the return of BokoHaram fighters to Adamawa state, the country’s insecurity situation is back to square one as the security agencies personnel attention would now be divided in fighting many battles at the same time. Only recently the BokoHaram fighters who had regrouped despite the death of Abubakar Shekau, the Group Leader in a gun dual with ISWAP in their struggle for supremacy , had attacked Karko village , a distance of 18 kilometers from the Damaturu, the Yobe state Capital, meaning that the insurgents are out to Capture the north east city at all costs.
The BokoHaram fighters, who were said to have become more deadly in the recent time, following the infiltration of the Malian and Nigerien Jihadist fighters in their ranks, had drove into the Yobe state Community on Thursday, in one Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC and six Toyota Hilux mounted with anti- aircraft guns and shootng sporadically.
The suspected BokoHaram fighters may have invaded the Yobe Community given the hunger ravaging their ranks in the Camps, in order to loot foot stuff. They have succeeded in their plot to loot the food stuff in the farming Community, but were unlucky to escape with it as troops of Operation Hadi Kai, were said to have laid ambushed against them while returning to their base in the Sambisa Forest. Recall that in March 16, 2021, the Karko village had been attacked by the insurgents, leading to the destruction of health care facilities in the village.
While BokoHaram , fighters have intensified their atatcks in Borno and Yobe, to reclaim their lost ground, the Bandits operating in Kadun, are still giving Nasir El-Rufai, a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and now governor of the north west state sleepless night by their incessant kidnapping of people for ransom from the state government.
Despite the recent attack in Chikun Local government Area by the Bandits, which many had expected Major General Yahaya, the COAS, to fortify the security situation in the flashpoint Local government Area, as requested by El-Rufai, the state governor, the Bandits, could not have that opportunity to attack Ungwan Matari, which an informed Kaduna resident had said is within the Sabon Tasha and Chikum Local Government Areas of the state.
The Bandits who were said to be working closely with the BokoKo Haram and ISWAP, fighters had invaded the Community which is adjoining Gbagyi villa towards Romi river on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, amidst cries of the people.
The Bandits were said to have also struck at Gudan Baushi, Gidan- Adamu, Gidan-Maidawa, Tsauni Wari, five Communities of Faru district located in Maradun Local government area of amfara, described as the home state of the killer gang killing 35 persons on Thursday, July 8, 2021.
Ibrahim Dosara, the state Commissioner for Information, who could no longer hide his feelings had said that between 2011 and 2019, alone, no fewer than 2,619 people were killed in the state. The Commissioner disclosed that 14,378, Livestock were rustled within the period.
He may have shocked Nigerians when he said that Bello Matawalle, a former People’s Democratic governor , PDP, governor of the state, who had decamped to the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, had spent N970 million on payment as ransom to the Bandits o secure the release of kidnapped victims between 2011 and 2019, alone, but the Kidnapping cases had not stopped.
The Zamfara state Commissioner for Information may have given an insight why the Bandits cannot stop the kidnapping activities in the state. Hear him: There are more than 100 different Camps and over 30,000 Bandits operating across the north west state and beyond. He believes that it is only through the continuation of the amnesty programme in the state that the government could secure its people.
Recall that in the recent attack in the Kaduna Community which had attracted widespread Condemnation across the country, had informed why Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, had visited the area’’ to assess the situation and report back to President Buhari in order to direct on the next line of action.
He could not agree that the Bandits, BokoHaram or ISWAP fighters are making a head way to capture more Local governments in their areas of operations, re-echoing what Major General Yahaya, the COAS, had said while addressing Journalists in Kaduna during the recent visit, insisting that ‘’the security Challenges facing the country would be resolved very soon’’. The IGP, had said that all the necessary steps are being taken by h the Buhari Administration’’ to overcome the security challenges in the country to make life easier for the Law abiding citizens of the country’’.
Bashir Salihi Magashi, a retired Major General and minister of Defence, had restated the Commitment of the Commander –In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Military’’ to protect the national territorial defence against the Forces fueling insecurity in the country’’ when he received, Nicholas Simard the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria recently. Already the Nigerian President had said that he cannot afford to disappoint Nigerians by allowing the security challenges facing the country to persist until the February 18, 2023, general elections to elect a new set of Political Leaders.
