Dr. Joseph Sunny Ifedimma is a counterterrorism expert. He was once a private adviser to the National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi (retd.) on counterterrorism in the government of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Dr. Ifedimma is currently based in the UK where he’s one of the directors of Africa Counterterrorism and Security Academy with his area of specialisation in aviation and maritime-targeted terrorism. In this interview with select journalists, he says he’s very well-equipped to advise President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the specific ways of successfully tackling kidnapping, banditry, and other such vices plaguing the country. DONALD IORCHIR was there.
In 2009-2012, you were the private adviser to the National Security Adviser on Counterterrorism, and an inner member of his team. How do you define terrorism then and the one obtainable now?
Honestly, the two situations are glaringly different. Then, it was a pure agitation for participation in the resources obtainable from the Niger Delta by the youth and elders of the zone. Wanton destruction of property and killings were involved, but not on this scale. There were leaders of these groups for directions, like Asari Dokubo, Ateke, Tompolo, Okar and others. But the prevailing terrorism in the country now comes with commercialisation and glory-hunting interests. All kinds of undefined, but progressively aggressive killings, kidnappings for ransoms, supremacy battles and resource acquisitions by terror groups. Unfortunately, leadership is totally lost as clusters of these terrorists are emerging daily. It is even better for them to have their leaders in place.
Right now, it is no longer news that terrorism is on the increase, but it has also increased in brutality and lethality, thereby producing more casualties than ever in the history of Nigeria. The enormity, frequency and the sheer scale of these upscale attacks at short intervals eclipsed anything previously
seen in terrorism in Nigeria.
Within a space of two weeks, a few of our traditional rulers, at least five of them, had been murdered by armed militants, specifically in the South-west of the country alone. People are dying in hundreds monthly in different parts of the country in repeated cycles.
As a PhD research expert in this speciality, and one who was a guest speaker during the bill on counterterrorism, what is your line of advice?
While there is no magical formula to solving the problems of terror Conglomerates and allied critical criminals in Nigeria. There are actions that can be taken to improve the situation and protect people all over Nigeria. Some of these actions are already in the Nigerian Armed Forces’ action packages. All
options have not been fully exhausted, as it is still possible to pursue different policies that will give Nigerians the opportunities for a better future, combat terrorism and stabilise the chaotic regions of the North, South, West and East of Nigeria. The Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies must act in total synergy and professionalism to achieve a stable and hopeful future because this is achievable. The urgency of the moment is what has necessitated this interview session, and I hope Nigerians will find it useful at this critical time. This is even more compounding with the recent repeated invitations of the Service Chiefs by the Senate.
So, what should be done to halt this ugly trend?
We require synergy and looking outside the box without doubt, as an antidote to our winning not only these terror wars, but to secure the needed peace as ugly news have gone on for too long and had given irresponsibility and criminality a new significant meaning. Nigeria, having attained Tertiary terrorism status, is currently on RED CODE, tagged as an unfriendly friend by most advanced countries. We need to exit this status by quickly fulfilling the prerequisites for signed-in member countries, which will enable Nigeria to access huge funds
meant for member countries. However, nothing at this stage can stop or extinct terrorism, but it can only be managed by keeping terrorists at planning stage through novel
unexplored methodologies.
Nigeria needs to equally re-assess the herculean tasks and difficulties in fighting an enemy that cannot be distinguished from the local communities, who comes out to fight, attack,
maim and kill us, and still quickly blend with the same crowd. His fighting environment is amenable to him, as he doesn’t have a returnable address, and therefore cannot be traced to any
fixed residence. This is where to professionally balance carefrontation and confrontation, to effectively achieve swift operational social intercourse. This is where the main job lies; hence, a researched expert pedigrees and experiences will be highly solicited. My memo titled, CAREFRONTATION, NOT CONFRONTATION, as proposed during the Niger Delta quagmire, could be reviewed and improved upon.
The British Minister for Africa, James Duddridge, some years ago, had described Nigeria’s security situation as “massively complex,” and advised that the military must not use war alone in resolving the matter, so multiple partnerships are required.
With suicide terrorism already in operation, making death and human lives as basic prerequisites for the successes of their operations is paramount. With this, instead of being deterred, they are rather trooping out in their thousands for early appointments with death. Not too long ago, there was a clarion call for 300 suicide volunteers by a major terrorist organisation, and 630 volunteers showed up, an excess of 330 begging to sign in as deadly proxies willingly.
Surprisingly, most of these volunteers responded from our schools, colleges, and universities. So, gradually, these criminal sponsors and human vendors are gradually creeping into our institutions to brainwash and conscript our children for terrorism and allied critical crimes.
Surprisingly, most of these volunteers responded from our colleges and universities.
Not too long ago, I strayed into these video clips showing children between the ages of seven and nine years, being drilled through Suicide Orientation. As a parent, I was visibly disturbed and disoriented, because these children were at a wrong place at a wrong time, especially at a time their contemporaries were in schools or moral instructing centres. Consequently, Nigeria needs a tough, tall and radical approach to penetrate our schools, and rescue our children and youths who invertedly had already prostrated to these terror recruits. This is very much in line with President Tinubu’s statement on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, where he disclosed plans of his administration to combat rising insecurity in its various forms, including kidnapping and banditry, with massive and aggressive education of the youth population.
With these complications and complexities in fighting tertiary terrorism, only good and guided intelligence will be very useful. Our relegated intelligence needs to be brought back
to the frontline to keep our terrorists at the planning stage perpetually. Time prone intelligence must be generously pursued and funded. I believe our professional Intelligence agencies are doing a very good job, but firm consolidation is shown by completely taking intelligence to the frontline, from where it was relegated.
We need to get back to the good old days of PWB, Presidential Weekly Brief; a weekly capsule summation meant for the president, which often provided a platform for inter-agency weekly interactions and engagements. This is a special and specific desk for a PhD researched expert in the specialty, an assignment I profoundly executed during my stint.
Knowledge affinity and operational uniformity by USS (Unified Service Scheme) application.
There is an urgent need to usher in the Third Force as recommended by the UN Charter, which must be devoid of the Military and Police. This is the right time for the establishment
of the President Tinubu’s own Counterterrorism Agency or Commission, which will presidentially dictate the direction and pace in terrorism and allied matters.
The Office of the special adviser to the president on counterterrorism should be re-activated.
Boko Haram and other terrorists’ upscale attacks, their frequencies and atrocities in Nigeria will require that Nigeria brings into operation other potent but unexplored strategies that will be result oriented, as Nigeria is dealing with a new band of terrorists trained outside the normal profile. As counterterrorism operations are becoming too costly, deadly and endless, we need to reactivate and bring back the dormant Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Counterterrorism to the frontline. Incidentally, it was my memo to Gen. Azazi that gave birth to this office, during his stint as the National Security Adviser.
What specifically is the essence of establishing this office?
The essence of establishing this office ab initio is to coordinate, streamline ad regulate the activities of our counterterrorism agencies, as the existing lack of synergy amongst them is
an aberration. Suffice it to say that this office was originally planned to be our counterterrorism policy focal point, audacious voice of the president, the government and the
foreign face of Nigeria abroad on counter terrorism and allied critical crime matters. Let us lessen the existing insecurity burdens on the president by reactivating this office once again.
The law of the National Assembly that established this office earmarked the holder of the office to be directly answerable to the president and Nigerians on counterterrorism.
Nigeria’s star position in Africa on counterterrorism and critical crimes is fast diminishing; therefore, the need for President Bola Tinubu African International Conference on Terrorism and Security to be organised, for Nigeria to assert its Number One position once again in Africa.
As I conclude, this war is fiercely raging and has virtually crept into all parts of the country. And because death is democratic, we must be careful in navigating out of these restive waters, especially as the whole watches us in bated breath. We must make a very deliberate effort to end this ugly war
that has caused us millions of lives. There are blood flows all over our backyards, streets and homes, with red painted on our walls. Unfortunately, these spotted red paints are not from industrial paints, but the blood of our sisters and brothers.
