The former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.- Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has added a new twist to Nigeria’s over two-decade hydra-headed insecurity monster, which has seemingly defied every solution adopted to tame or eliminate it.
Buratai, who was on the frontline in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorists, called on the federal government to adopt a nationwide mobilisation strategy similar to the COVID-19 lockdown in order to effectively combat terrorism, banditry and kidnapping across the country.
In a recent interview on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’, Buratai said insecurity should not be left to the military alone but treated as a national crisis requiring the collective sacrifice of all Nigerians.
“When there are national crises, we need to mobilise everybody, not just the military alone,” he said, “Look at COVID-19, how much was spent, how much was invested into information, communication, advertisement, palliatives, and preventive measures.
“The whole nation was locked down because of COVID-19. We can do the same thing. We can lock down this country to make sure that everybody concentrates and deals with this cankerworm of so-called terrorists and bandits.”
The former army chief and one-time Nigerian ambassador to Benin Republic said he had long warned that the insurgency could extend far longer than anticipated if a comprehensive, long-term approach was not put in place.
“Just before I left office, and immediately after I was appointed ambassador to the Republic of Benin, I sent a note of warning that this insurgency may last longer. It is not something that you just wish away. We really need to have a long-term plan,” Buratai said.
He pointed to past instances of national unity in response to crises, recalling how Nigerians rallied behind Borno state during the Maiduguri flood disaster. According to him, such collective mobilisation could strengthen the ongoing fight against insecurity.
His remarks came against the backdrop of growing concerns over deteriorating security conditions in the country. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in its latest report, expressed alarm over worsening violations of the right to life and freedoms, noting that more than 50 people were reported killed in separate attacks within the week alone.
Buratai maintained that beyond military campaigns, there must be sustained civilian involvement through awareness and community engagement. “Citizens must be mobilised psychologically, through social media, press, and community support, to overcome what I describe as the so-called terrorists and bandits.”
It is instructive that Buratai had, while serving as COAS in December 2020 made a shocking prediction to the effect that Africa’s most populous nation will most likely continue to suffer terrorist attacks for the next 20 years. Buratai, the then COAS, made the comment on his verified Facebook Page days after Boko Haram terrorists killed dozens of rice farmers in Zabarmari, a community in Jere local government area of Borno state. Residents say at least 43 farmers were murdered.
“There is general misunderstanding of what insurgency and terrorism entail,” Buratai said in the post he made at 7:53 PM on December 1, 2020. “There is likelihood of terrorism persisting in Nigeria for another 20 years.
“It only depends on the level of escalation and the appropriate responses by all stakeholders both civil and military authorities; also, by both local and international actors. Citizens’ responsibility is equally important and imperative. All must cooperate to contain the lingering insecurity. Let there be collective action and responsibility.”
Nearly six years after this statement by the then COAS, which came on the heels of intensified attacks by Boko Haram in the North-east zone, rather than abate, insecurity has assumed a more complex and lethal dimension.
Besides Boko Haram terrorists operating in the North-east, the Nigerian military has to also contend with bandits, kidnappers, oil thieves and separatist agitators unleashing mayhem in the North-west, North-central, the littoral Niger Delta region, the South-west and the South-east, respectively.
Blueprint is of the opinion that the Buratai counter-terrorism panacea deserves scrutiny aimed at incorporating the strategy into the nation’s anti-terrorism framework. Coming from a man who led the fight against the Boko Haram insurgents from the front for eight years of the late President Muhammadu Buhari administration, Buratai’s remarks should attract more than a passing attention.
Although we acknowledge the military’s counter-terrorism breakthrough in the recent capture of two of the most wanted leaders of the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru group, Mahmud Muhammad Usman, popularly known as Abu Bara’a, and Mahmud al-Nigeri, but more needs to be done. Nigerians are eager to see a decisive end to the insecurity that has claimed scores of lives and made life in the country a living hell in the last two decades.