Tinubu needs everyone’s support to fight insecurity

Nigerians must borrow a leaf from the Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF). This is not the time to play politics. It is a time for all Nigerians – irrespective of political affiliation, religion and tribe – to unite and fight for the future of the country.

Nigeria is under attack and the enemy is using well-coordinated psychological and physical warfare tactics. The more Nigerians blame its various ethnic groups or religious sects for the astronomical rise in banditry – which has had enough time to breed in Nigeria – the more the enemy gains mileage.

Last Thursday’s communique by the Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF) and Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council (SNTRC) is highly commendable and this is the way to go. The communique issued by the SGF was different from its usual criticism of the federal government – i.e. before its current leadership. Unlike the SGF’s Asaba Meeting of 2021 and its Enugu Meeting of 2021, the SGF held a high-powered meeting, last Thursday, and proffered real and implementable solutions. The future of Nigeria is at stake and the 17 southern governors know that this is not the time to play politics. The governors must follow-up with the resolutions reached last Thursday. The SGF issued concrete plans to push back terrorists from having a foothold in southern Nigeria. The 17 southern governors, irrespective of party affiliations, agreed to jointly invest in equipment that will allow effective communication across state lines and reiterated its longstanding call for the establishment of state police. This is the way to go.

The recent rise in mass kidnap of school children, the killing of a brigadier general and the recently reported ‘Turf War’ between Jihadist groups – Boko Haram vs Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)- over the control of parts of the Lake Chad islands show that the attack from the enemy is real and well-coordinated. And who are these enemies? They include: Armed militias (i.e. pastoralist-based groups); Criminal gangs and rural criminal groups; foreign fighters from Niger, Chad and Mali; Criminal syndicates purely motivated by ransom, looting and cattle rustling; ex-herders who have been displaced by climate change who might have been recruited into illegal mining and armed robbery because of joblessness. The list is endless.

There are enough examples to show that the attack from the enemy is well-coordinated and funded. For instance, Boko Haram, ISWAP and other bandit groups are deliberately using social media – TikTok, YouTube, Telegram, etc.– for propaganda, recruitment, intimidation and disinformation. It is both a psychological and physical warfare. Intelligence reports confirm that ISWAP even uses drones for surveillance, battlefield coordination and propaganda filming. They even monitor Nigerian troops with drones.

The President has responded swiftly to the rising wave of attack from bandits. President Bola Tinubu has declared a nationwide security emergency. The President also ordered mass recruitment of police and security personnel and even the Department of State Services (DSS) was authorized to deploy trained forest guards to address militant and bandit hideouts in forests. But the President needs the help of all Nigerians. Technology, more boots on the ground and even foreign support are necessary conditions to fight insecurity but they are not sufficient conditions. The President needs human, psychological, intelligence, advisory and community support that would strengthen decision making and stabilize the nation.

Technology and military strength, though extremely necessary, might not be enough. Without a strong human intelligence architecture, it will be difficult for technology alone to pinpoint terrorists. For example, many Nigerians are surprised that Nigerian intelligence services have not been able to effectively track down bandits even when it is evident that they are on social media and use drones for their operations.

Apart from allegations of sabotage, which some commentators have alleged, there are technological reasons why Nigeria is finding it difficult to track bandits. The bandits, according to reports, use cheap, commercial and easy to replace drones for their surveillance. They do not use advanced military drones. These drones fly low and do not require strong GPS signals. And since Nigeria’s air-defense radars are made to detect larger military aircraft and not tiny commercial drones, the drones used by bandits, many times, go undetected. Nigeria needs to upgrade its detection technology in this space. (Imagine tracking all small drones in Nigeria including those flown in parties when videoing events like weddings, naming ceremonies, etc.)

Also, by using stolen phones, VPN and shifting accounts, bandits evade telecommunication tracking systems. Reports say they hardly post social media videos from their camps making their locations difficult to track. Nigeria, though, needs to do more in its tracking systems.

Granted, Nigeria needs all the support it needs to upgrade its military technology. Nigeria does not manufacture most of these military hardware and tech equipment. The country needs massive resources to replace outdated military equipment and even to maintain existing ones. It needs to cut corruption in its procurement processes. Nigeria needs increased coordination between intelligence units such as the DSS, Military, Police, NIA and state-level outfits. Nigeria needs stronger multinational coordination. For example, Borno State shares borders with Niger, Chad and Cameroon and terrorists easily cross borders after attacks, making pursuit difficult. The country needs more investment and security at its borders.

This column believes that the bandits have tested the resolve of Nigerians with the current rise in criminality and that President Tinubu has what it takes to deal with them. With the support of Nigerians, President Tinubu will succeed! We do not have another country. We must fight for the soul of our country. President Tinubu must fight this battle with all his might!