The attack by armed bandits on Nigeria’s prestigious military training institution, the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna, came as a rude shock to Nigerians. For some citizens, it mirrors the worsening and pervasive insecurity bedevilling the nation while to others, it confirms the assertion that Nigeria is a failed state.
The attack has undoubtedly thrown the whole country into a state of disbelief, apprehension, turmoil and palpable fear of possible descent to anarchy. It was inconceivable, incomprehensible and unbelievable that rag tag “bandit” could have the tenacity, boldness and audacity to enter into probably the most powerful military training institution in Africa and “successfully” killed and and abducted military officers.The thought is that if bandits (or whatever) can invade and “successfully” carry out a terrorist act in the highly secure and fortified military formation like the NDA, then which institution and who else is safe in Nigeria!
It therefore did not come as a surprise that all Nigerian newspapers without exception carried the news of the shameful and unfortunate attack on NDA. They were all very graphic in describing how the security architecture of Nigeria is collapsing day by day and how citizens will find it increasingly difficult to trust the government with its first and most important constitutional responsibility of ensuring their security and welfare.
The NDA is a military university esterblished in 1964 and in Kaduna with two campuses (Ribadu and Afaka).The university is saddled with the responsibility of training military cadets who on graduation are awarded bachelor degrees and commissioned as officers in the Nigerian Armed Forces. It was esterblished initially by the British colonial administration as the Royal Military Training College and later renamed the Nigerian Military Training College after independence. The institution also trains military officers from other countries, especially African countries.
NDA was upgraded to a degree awarding institution in 1985 and subsequently commenced post graduate studies in various fields and later extended its admission policy in post-graduate training to civilians as well.
NDA has trained several hundreds of Nigeria’s finest military officers that fought gallantly to ensure that the country remains united during the Nigerian civil war that in 1967. They have also served in several United Nations peace keeping missions and won several medals and awards for their sacrifices and meritorious services to humanity. Some of the officers trained in NDA have also served as military heads of state at various times in 1967 to 1999.
There is no doubt that the founding fathers of Nigeria who nurtured the idea of nationalising its premier military training institution and transforming it into university would be terribly let down if they know of the bandit attack on the Afaka campus of NDA.
I don’t have any doubt that most of them will cry and shed tears if they are aware that security has deteriorated in present day Nigeria to the extent that terrorists have the tenacity to invade the military training institution they worked so hard to esterblish. They will also shed tears if they know that aside the military officers that were killed and kidnapped in NDA, several people were killed on the same day in Plateau and Zamfara states. They will definitely be very sad and deeply concerned that the Nigeria they worked so hard and tailored to esterblish a sound foundation for has degenerated to a huge killing field.
Several citizens of Nigeria are of the opinion that the attack on NDA is a direct attack on the honour and psyche of military establishment in Nigeria and should mark a turning point for the government and Nigeria’s security forces in the fight against banditry, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity in Nigeria. It should lead to increased vigor and reappraisal of all strategies deployed in the fight against banditry and insecurity.
It is suprising but a fact to know that there are a number of bandit camps not far from the Kaduna International Airport and the Afaka campus of NDA to the adjoining forest that links them to Birnin-Gwari. The time has come for the military to go out for a “fight to finish” operation to destroy the camps of all criminals and bandits and neutralise them. Many believe that this is possible and doable with the right leadership and motivation among our security forces.
The Nigerian military and other security forces should do whatever it takes to crush all bandits camps starting with those not far away from their permanent site in Afaka campus and those located after the Kaduna airport on the fringes of Birnin-Gwari forest. They should then proceed to flush out those around Birnin-Gwari axis and then deep into the thick Kuyambana forest that links Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger, Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto states.
Citizens are keenly watching to see if this unfortunate attack on Nigeria’s prestigious military training institution would serve as a significant turning point for a renewed fight against bandirty and all other forms of criminality in Nigeria. They hope it will mark the beginning of the end of the road to all forms of banditry, kidnappings and other terrorist act in their beloved country.
Dr Bashir, a consultant physician and public affairs analyst, writes via [email protected]
