The whistle-stop visit of former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to Minna on Sunday actually sign-posts the concerns of Nigeria’s retired military generals on the worsening security situation in the country, especially in the Northern states.
Media reports indicate that Chief Obasanjo who flew a chartered plane from Benin City to Minna, met with former military leaders, General Ibrahim Babangida, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, and former national security adviser, General Aliyu Gusau at Babangida’s Hilltop residence.
They have resolve on a decisive step, tapping from the huge experience of Gen Gusau who has held several high-level national security, military and intelligence portfolios.
Though the details of the meeting were not made public, sources close to the retired generals told Credible News that the rising spate of banditry and insecurity in the North-West States and other parts of Northern Nigeria dominated their discussion.
In the past three months, significant security challenges have persisted in the North West, North East and North Central regions of Nigeria, particularly highlighted by incidents in Sokoto, Yobe and Niger states.
While the Nigerian military strive to combat the sporadic attacks on multiple fronts, many citizens were alarmed by the tragic killing of Isa Mohammed Bawa, the emir of Gobir. He was kidnapped in July along the Sokoto-Sabon Birni Road and subsequently murdered by his captors after they demanded a ransom of ₦1 billion. Despite negotiations for his release, the failure to meet the ransom deadline led to his execution, which occurred just days after he had appealed for government intervention in a viral video.
This incident underscores the ongoing crisis of banditry and kidnapping for ransom that has plagued the region and many parts of the country since Boko Haram became violent in 2009 with incessant killings and destruction by armed gangs who operate from forest hideouts.
In addition to this high-profile case, banditry has continued to disrupt daily life across the North West. Criminal gangs have been responsible for numerous attacks on villages, leading to fatalities and displacements.
The Federal Government has faced criticism for its seeming inadequate response to these escalating threats, prompting calls for more robust security measures to protect citizens.
This robust response may be far from the arsenals of the military. “The generals have mulled a third force intervention and are expected to present their suggestion to President Tinubu soon”, a reliable source said.
It is on record that the Federal Government has intensified military operations in the North-West. To this end, President Bola Tinubu recently ordered the minister of state for defence, Bello Matawalle, and the military chiefs to relocate to Sokoto State as part of efforts to rid the state and the entire North-West of rampant terrorism.
In addition, the Nigerian Air Force has conducted several airstrikes on known bandit hideouts in Zamfara, while the Army continued ground operations, aiming to dismantle the strongholds in forested areas. Community vigilante groups have also taken on greater roles in defending their villages.
While military operations have disrupted some criminal networks, the resilience of the armed groups has posed significant challenges, making the efforts of the security forces to yield only limited success.
As security forces intensify operations, many remain cautiously hopeful, yet uncertainty persists over whether these measures can fully dismantle the entrenched criminal networks terrorizing the region.
The retired generals are also skeptical on the capability of the military to put an end to the banditry and insurgency which has lasted almost 15 years with huge fatalities.
READ ALSO : Obasanjo arrives Minna to meet former military leaders
The North-West region of Nigeria has witnessed a surge in violent attacks over the past month. From deadly raids in Zamfara to highway ambushes in Katsina and mass abductions in Kaduna, the security situation remains dire, leaving residents in fear and displacement
In Yobe State, violence attributed to Boko Haram has escalated dramatically. A recent attack in Mafa village killed 34 villagers, according to official reports, although local sources claimed that over 100 were massacred. The attackers were heavily armed riding on motorcycles acquired as ransoms from hapless victims of kidnappings.
The persistence of Boko Haram and its splinter group ISWAP continues to pose severe threats in the North East. Despite military operations aimed at countering these groups, they remain resilient and capable of executing deadly attacks on both civilians and military targets.
Niger State has also seen significant military engagements against bandits and terrorists. Recently, the Nigerian Air Force airstrikes killed over 28 terrorists during a coordinated operation against armed groups in Shiroro Local Government Area. This operation was part of broader efforts involving various security agencies aimed at curbing the activities of these criminal elements that have increasingly stopped local people from going to the farms.
The security situation across these regions is compounded by a broader economic crisis affecting Nigeria, marked by high inflation rates and increased costs of living. These conditions have driven many individuals towards criminal activities such as kidnapping for ransom as a means of survival.
The average yearly military spending in Nigeria over the last six years (including the projected budget for 2024) is approximately $3.25 billion. Nigeria’s defense budget has risen by 134.8% over five years, from ₦589.955 billion in 2019 to ₦1.383 trillion in 2023. In 2024 government has budgeted $4 billion, representing a significant increase, and approximately 12% of Nigeria’s total budget of $35 billion.
These significant increases in military spending and budget allocations have not helped to diminish security challenges. Moreover, sporadic farmer-herder conflicts, violent extremism, and a rise in sectarian violence, with the cumulative deaths blamed on sectarian actors increased by 2,497 between the end of 2019 and 2022.
Despite significant increases in military budgets, widespread corruption and inadequate implementation have also hindered the effective utilization of these funds, leading to seemingly intractable security breaches across the country.
Credible News.ng
