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By Suleiman Umaru
After several years of fruitless efforts by the Army and the police to restore peace and stability in the country , with the situation appears to be getting worse by the dayin the north east states of Borno and Yobe and the north west states of Zamfara and Kaduna among others.
The insecurity situation may have gotten so bad in the north east states of Borno and Yobe in the recent time due to the activities of the Islamic Fundamentalist Group BokoHaram and the Islamic State of West Afrian Province, ISWAP, which targets mostly the soldiers and military bases in their attacks.
The situation according to secrity analysts is the same in the north west states , particular, Zamfara and Kaduna, and the north central of Niger , due to Banditry attacks while in Benue, another state in the north central geo-political region, the people are battling the armed herders, who were believed to have come from different countries in the Sahel region to attack the people and security operatives and then, return to their hideout in the bush to restrategise for another operation.
Recall that the insecurity situation was was so bad in Zamfara, which had been declared a no fly zone by President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired Army General, that Bello Matawalle, the People’s Democratic governor of the state, who is tired of the endless of promises of the military to end Banditry in the state and other parts of the north west geopolitical region had urge the people to defend themselves this year instead of dying like fowls in the hands of the Bandits who attack their various Communities.
Ony recently four people who were said to have been kidnapped by the Bandits in Bilbis area of Tsafe Local government were said to have been rescued by some fierce looking police officers who were alerted of the attack. The victims were said to female. Mohammed Shehu, the state Police Command, spokesperson , had confirmed the attack and the rescue operation by the officers who were alerted. He had said that the security Operatives had worked on credible intelligence to ensure a successful rescue of the victims.
In spite of the fact, that the Army have not yet been fully deployed to Zamfara, described as home state of the Bandits, Onyema Nwachukwu, a Brigadier General and Army spokesperson could beat his chest the troops on ground in the state have succeeded in neutralizing the Bandits in operating around Mayanchi-Dogo Karfe and Fagatama villages in Marafa Local government Area of the north east state.
Aminu Msari, a former Speaker of House of Representatives and governor of Katsina,Buhari, home state , may have seen reason for Matawalle ‘s security initiative to the people of Zamfara state to defend themselves from Bandits attack that he had cue into it insisting that ‘’it is ridiculous that the Nigerian people are not defending themselves against Bandits attack’’.
Masari may have spoken his mind on Friday, June 25, 2021, at the Katsina state police Headquarters , where he had inaugurated the Joint security operations and Communication centre meant to assist the secutity agencies operating in the state in doing their job in the state. He may have told the officers at the state police Command that the people of Katsina ‘’can no longer rely on the security agencies to solve the problem of insecurity in the state’’. Security is the people’s responsibility, he had told the officers. This is an indictment on Farouk Yahaya, a Major General and Chief of Army Staff, COAS, and Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, and their men.
Notwithstanding the people’s loss of Confidence on the security agencies to defend them across the country, Major General Yahaya, the COAS, may have toe the line of Tukur Buratai, a retired Lt. General and former COAS and now Nigerian Ambassador, designate to the neighbouring West African country of Republic of Benin, when he said ‘’the army is Committed to ending the insurgency in the north east part of the country.
The COAS, may have spoken his mind during a recent visit to the frontline troops of sector 2, joint taskforce of the Nigerian Army Operation Hadin Kai in Damaturu, Capital of Yobe , home state of Baba, the IGP. He had said that ending the insurgency in the north east of states of Borno and Yobe, ‘’will allow the Army’’ to effectively confront the Bandits in the north west states of Zamfara and Kaduna including the north central stat of Nigeria as well as the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB and the Eastern Security Network, ESN, believed to be the armed wing of the Court outlawed Group in the south east geopolitical region including the armed herdsmen killing indiscriminately across the country.
Adamu Nura, a Brigadier General and Commander, sector 2, of Operation Hadi Kai and the senior officers of the Command, may have gotten the message as they were said to have gone back to the drawing board to restrategise on how to deal decisively with the north east insurgents. The Operation Hadi Kai, sector 2, Command may have been recording some modest success in all areas of their operations in Borno and Yobe states in the recent time . This is because the Command have been working closely with other military branches, host Communities and other security agencies personnel in the two states to sustain the tempo of winning the insurgency war which is over a decade in the region.
The Katsina born Nigerian President may have shocked Nigerians when he said on Saturday, June 26, 2021, when he said that’’ the effects of drug abuse in the country was worse than insurgency in the north east , banditry in the north west and other acts of insecurity in the country. This may have informed why he has thrown his weight on the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, under the close watch of Buba Marwa, a retired Brigadier General and Nigeria former Ambassador to South Africa.
Mrwa, the NDLEA, Chairman, may have succeeded in winning the heart of the Nigerian President when he said that if the pervasive abuse of the cannabis Sativa, popular, Indian Hemp, which was said to be grown in the West African country of Ghana and smuggled into the Nigerian market could be effectively checkmated, there would be peace and stability in the country. He had said that 10.6 million Nigerians are actively abusing the substance and other dangerous drugs including Tramadol in different parts of the country.
The Nigerian President may be working on that theory that drug is influencing the Criminal gang members to cause insecurity in the country that he is ready to support the NDLEA, with all that is needed to contain the drug dealers in their various Locations throughout the country.
Boss Mustafa, Secretary to the Government of the Federation may have spoken the mind of the retired Army General, when he urged the Marwa led Drug agency ‘’to develop a robust Community engagement strategy as well as destroy Canabis plantation and production sites within forests across the country, particular, in the south and the south –south states’’.
The NDLEA, boss had told those that cares to listen that Nigeria is the highest user of Canabis globally , a trend which he had repeatedly said had contributed immensely to the high level of insecurity in the country. Recall that Bello Mohammed Jibo, Comptroller, Seme Command and his Counterpart at Ogun1, Command Idiroko, including the service Amphibitous Command, West Marine, have continued to intercept Canabis sativa, in their areas of Jurisditions, which are regularly handed over to the NDLEA officials for further Investigation and destruction.
