The rising wave of insecurity in Nigeria, particularly the recent killings in Benue, Plateau, Zamfara, Kwara and Borno states by unknown gunmen, may have prompted the Nigerian Army to introduce new techniques and procedures to defeat the nation’s adversaries and end terrorism.
Relatedly, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has proffered strategies to defeat terrorism and other violent crimes in the country. The senate has also resolved to hold a two-day national summit aimed at ending insecurity in the country.
Speaking during a fire power demonstration exercise of the 2025 Combat Arms Training Week (CAT), Wednesday in Bauchi, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, said the federal government had procured equipment and weapons aimed to tackle insurgency and terrorism in the country. He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian Army were working to ensure that positive changes reflect in the field.
“This particular event is very important because we have discussed strategies, operations and tactics and at the end, it is at the tip of the spear that all these will be reflected. It was very important that all the participants are brought here to see the capabilities which we are using to execute the various operations that we have,” he said.
Oluyede said the enemies would feel the heat at the end of the day, adding that, “the government has bought a lot of equipment and weapons. Some are already in the field, some are still coming.” Oluyede said the fire power demonstration is important as it acquaints the participants with latest capabilities the army deployed for various operations.
In the same vein, Ribadu said terrorism and violent extremism in West Africa sub-region can only be defeated through collaborative efforts. Ribadu stated this Tuesday in his remarks at the opening ceremony of stakeholders meeting on consolidating collaborative efforts to prevent and counter the acquisition and use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) by terrorist groups in West Africa.
“The threat of terrorism knows no one, and it is highly through collaborative efforts such as this that we can effectively confront and defeat this menace. We aim to develop effective mechanisms to enhance our ability to prevent and counter the use of improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs),” he said.
He said the recommendations that will emerge from the meeting are vital in sharing and shaping strategies and initiatives to safeguard communities and the sub-region at large.
“I encourage all participants to actively engage in discussion and get ideas and work towards solutions that will tell them how counter-terrorism can affect communities in West Africa. Let us seize this opportunity to make a tangible difference in our fight against terrorism and create a safer and more secure future for all,” he said.
In her remarks, the German ambassador to Nigeria, Annet Günther, lamented the increase in high-impact attacks involving IEDs in the region. She said the global trend of weaponising commercial drones presents a troubling development.
“These technological advancements tend to jeopardise much of the impressive progress that many countries have made in bringing back stability, not least Nigeria in the three northeastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa,” she said.
She emphasised the need to strengthen national and regional counter-IED expertise by “disrupting the supply chains of IED components, and turn intelligence into the core of the scientific evidence.”
As done during the 8th and the 9th National Assembly, the Senate Tuesday resolved to hold a two-day National Security Summit for lasting solutions to the myriad of problems of insecurity bedeviling the country.
Those to attend the planned National Security Summit shall include delegates from the federal, states, and local governments as well as the traditional institutions to propose legitimate solutions to insecurity and its challenges in the country.
It also resolved that the federal government should use resolutions from the proposed summit to rejig the country’s security architecture through formulation and implementation of very proactive and pragmatic policies.
The resolutions were sequel to a motion sponsored to that effect by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC Ondo South) and co-sponsored by Senators Zam Titus, Senator Peter Onyeka Nwebonyli, Onyeka Peter, APC, Ebonyi North and Senator Ngwu Osita, PDP, Enugu West.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim in the motion titled: “Urgent Need for a National Security Summit” said that high level of global insecurity is driven by events in Russia and Ukraine and compounded by tensions between the global north and global south which, according to him, have worsened food insecurity and affected the attainment of sustainable development goals (SDGs).
“No country will allow its citizens to understand security by living with insecurity, therefore, the ideology of peace for all, as outlined in the executive policy leg of the Renewed Hope Agenda should be upheld and promoted.
Blueprint commends the Nigerian Army, the NSA and the Senate for rising against the escalation of insecurity in the country. The swift response to the clamour for government to restrategise its fight against terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements unleashing mayhem on innocent and law-abiding citizens is an ample demonstration of the fact that democracy is on course in Nigeria.
We urge that the laudable measures adopted in the fight against insecurity should not be mere academic exercise or rhetorics but pragmatically and meticulously pursued to fruition.
As oft advocated by this newspaper, whatever approach is being adopted must factor in the non-kinetic strategy, the lack of which is widely believed to be the root cause of insecurity in the country. Government must prioritise education, job creation and the general welfare of the people as the most sustainable solution to insecurity across Nigeria.