Nigerian Military

By Mallam Musbahu Magayaki

I write to commend and appreciate the unmeasurable feats of the Nigerian military personnel and other sub-security agencies for their bid to ensure that two of the well-known wanted bandits, Alhaji Auta and Kachalla Ruga, have met their waterloo. They spent many years operating their egregious activities of the gruesome killing of innocent people without regard to the principle of natural justice.

However, they were killed by a Nigerian Air Force aircraft, under operation Hadarin Daji, at Gusami forest and Tsamre village in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of Zamfara State. Nevertheless, at this point, as they (bandits) reach their cul-de-sac, our adventurous security personnel should not relent unless they spare them all.

Undoubtedly, the death of these two kidnap kingpins is a severe blow to their bandits’ like-minded abhorrent individuals. As such, more triumphant efforts to fish them out of their territories should now be re-engineered by both military personnel and vigilante units who work inexhaustibly day-in-day-out to safeguard the lives and personal possessions of Nigerians.

Yet, there is a need for the government of the federation, specifically the security sector, to organize orientation sessions with security agencies to be fully informed about the assigned task that they have sworn to do of protecting and upholding the country’s constitution. Because we live in a country where some of its countrymen portray sabotage as a virtuous way to satisfy their narrow-minded desires. As a result, they will devote all of their useless energy to changing the great sense of our security personnel to compromise the country’s state of peacefulness.

Moreover, security personnel should be fully equipped with sophisticated weapons techniques to finish off these ruthless humans (bandits) and frequent motivational incentives that would boost their morale to serve uncompromisingly. They should also be retrained in modern battle strategy. A famous West African proverb says, “When the music changes, so does the dance.” It is high time the government changed all its tactics against these despicable fellows.

Mallam Musbahu Magayaki Writes from Sabon Fegi, Azare.Bauchi State. He can be reached via musbahumuhammad258@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Sabiu

Reports have indicated that about 605 repentant Boko Haram members have laid down their arms and surrendered to the Nigerian military in recent weeks.

According to PRNigeria, a top intelligence officer in the know of the issue said that the exercise for the repentant terrorists and their families conforms with the “international laws and best practices, relating to enemies willing to surrender.”

The senior officer said that some of the repentant terrorists were afraid they could be eliminated if they “surrendered but were persuaded by their spouses and parents.”

“Surprisingly, their parents and wives gave them encouragement that they would stand by them if they surrender to troops.

“The intelligence efforts are invisible but manifesting in current outcomes. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Faruk Yahaya, encourages a mixed technique of kinetic and non-kinetic operations that are humane in nature as he instructed that while we accept those willing to surrender, we should not spare the stubborn one by sending them to where they belong.

“The sustained and well-coordinated military operation has exerted pressure on the terrorists who have deserted their various hideouts and camps, while their members who felt being misled are surrendering with their families to the Nigerian troops.

“During profiling, some of the Commanders who surrendered to troops admitted that their various enclaves are bedevilled by hunger, disease, and the perpetual fear of military offensives.

“The media are key to shaping the troops’ resolve to continue their aggressive posture, while the citizens maintain their confidence on the military efforts on Counter-Terrorism,” the officer said.

The Boko Haram insurgency has led to the killing of thousands of people and the displacement of many in the northeastern part of Nigeria.