Chief of Defence Staff General Lucky Irabor has said old weapons and tactics have become unsuitable to defeat asymmetric warfare like Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping, banditry and related crimes.
The CDS noted that long-term success against terrorism, insurgency, banditry and other internal security challenges required a total approach rather than just a military solution.
To this end, he said the military had resolved to acquire new platforms to address them adequately.
Nigeria has been in the throes of the insurgency fight in the North-east for over a decade, a development that has become worrisome to citizens, government and the international community.
The challenge was later to be compounded by banditry, kidnapping and a myriad of other security issues.
The defence chief spoke less than 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari openly admitted inadequate equipment and funding of troops, while also canvassing a change in tactics in the insurgency fight and others.
President Buhari spoke when he decorated the new army chief, Farouk Yahaya with the new rank of lieutenant general Wednesday.
Irabor speaks
And addressing a regimental dinner organised in honour of the graduating students of Senior Course 43 of Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, Kaduna state Wednesday, CDS Irabor said it’s high time the military changed its tactics to address the nonconventional warfare like insurgency.
The graduating students, in the ranks of Major and its equivalents are to assume new responsibilities as mid-level commanders.
Addressing the gathering, General Irabor said the involvement of military in containing asymmetric security threats in the past few years had highlighted the need to acquire new operational capability for the Armed Forces of Nigeria to deal with emergent threats.
He said: “Accordingly, we are developing new capabilities in intelligence and surveillance, which are critical for staying ahead of terrorists and insurgents, and other criminal elements in the society.
“As you are aware, asymmetric warfare encourages the use of non-traditional military tactics for which our previous training and operational doctrines were not well suited. Nigeria is currently contending with a number of asymmetric threats. The most visible of these threats is the terrorism and insurgency by the Boko Haram in the North-East.
“Equally disturbing is the herders-farmers conflicts in some parts of the country, which recently have attained a worrisome dimension with different interpretations of the causes of the conflict and personalities involved. This is coupled with other varying acts of criminalities that are characterised by banditry, kidnapping among others. The involvement of the armed forces in the management of such internal crises requires a complex interplay of many factors.
“As mid-level commanders, your role becomes even more challenging when operating in an operational environment that is intricately woven and influenced by many factors and several differing actors, most of which are not defined by military necessities. Expectedly, such complex security environment will require new capabilities and also portend several challenges to military and security practitioners.
“One major success determinant in a complex security environment is for you to have a thorough understanding of the dynamics that define the crisis you are deployed to contain, and the interplay of the various actors. This understanding will ensure that you exhibit clear thought and adequate judgement in decision making even when under pressure. It will also guide you from the manipulative tendencies of some parties to the conflict.
“You must remember that as a commander, and indeed as a member of the armed forces, you are required to be apolitical and neutral in your decision making and subsequent actions.”
On the steps taken by the military command to address new threats, General Irabor said: “The curriculum of our training institutions across the services are constantly being reviewed and our new platform acquisitions are being focused to acquire new set of capabilities that address asymmetric threats. We cannot use old tools to address new threats.
“Accordingly, we are developing new capabilities in intelligence and surveillance, which are critical for staying ahead of terrorists and insurgents, and other criminal elements in the society.
“The Defence Headquarters as well as the services are utilising their Special Forces Units, which have been force multipliers and have proven to be critical in asymmetric warfare because of several unique capabilities they can bring into combat, including operating in small teams over extended period in difficult terrain.
“We are also giving our officers and soldiers specialist skills to address the problems of terrorism and insurgency. I have been informed that the curriculum of the College, which you have gone through in the last 11 months, is in line with these realities.
“The actions of the military merely serve to create the necessary conditions for other agencies of government to function in the restoration of long-term peace and security to the crises areas. You must understand and appreciate the important roles of other security agencies in the overall security architecture,” the CDS said.
Bandits strike in Katsina
In a related development, bandits Wednesday killed two immigration officers and left a soldier injured after raiding a village in Jibia local government Area of Katsina state.
The incident involving the soldier occurred in Kadobe community, which lies about 25 kilometres from the local government’s headquarters.
The source identified the deceased immigration officers as Sani Abubakar, who hailed from Dutse, Jigawa state, and Yusuf Adam, an indigene of Kano state.
The two fallen officers are superintendent of the Immigration service.
The outlaws attacked the community at about 11: 30 p.m, killing the Immigration officers at their duty post.
The village head of Kadobe, Surajo Wakili, told PREMIUM TIMES that the bandits rustled many livestock from the community but some of the animals found their way back home in the morning.
He said residents of the area are living in fear due to frequent bandit attacks. He appealed for the deployment of more security agents to the area.
Comptroller of Immigration in Katsina state, Abdulrazak Mu’azu, confirmed the attack but declined further comments.
“We’re now mourning the deaths and receiving condolence messages. For now, it is not a time for media briefing, we will do so at the right time,” Mu’azu said.
Meanwhile, colleagues of the slain officers have alleged poor condition of operations of the service in border communities. The officers, who asked not to be named for fear of sanction, complained of poor accommodation and lack of operational vehicles, which they said made them vulnerable to attacks.
“At the Immigration check point at ‘Babban Mutum’ Control Post, in Baure LGA, there is no single operational vehicle, with many illegal migrants taking advantage of the restricted movement of immigration officers to sneak into Nigeria,” an officer who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation, said.
The official alleged the police, other security agents and Immigration officers were operating illegal checkpoints to extort migrants who are taking to bush paths to avoid extortion by the officers.
There are 13 such illegal checkpoints between Babura local government area in Jigawa and Babban Mutum control post in Baure local government area of Katsina state.
The border area linking Nigeria to Damagaram in Niger Republic also has many illegal routes.
14 abducted in Kaduna
Also, not less than 14 people were kidnapped following an attack by bandits at Ungwan Matari within the Sabon Tasha, Chikun local government area of Kaduna state.
Among the victims were a landlord and some of his tenants.
The bandits were said to have invaded the community which is adjoining Gbagyi villa towards Romi River at about 11.00pm Wednesday.
On arrival, the hoodlums shot sporadically, breaking fences and windows in a bid to gain access into the houses of their victims. This attack is coming barely three days after over 121 students of Bethel Baptist School also in the local government area were abducted by bandits.
Although police authorities were yet to confirm the latest incident as at the time of the report, the immediate past council chairman of the local government, Samaila Leeman said a total of 14 members of the community were abducted by the kidnappers and taken away to an unknown destination.
