THE WIDER INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST BOKO HARAM

“The murderous campaign waged by Boko Haram demands stronger and more coordinated action from us all. Regional and international efforts must focus on protecting communities in northern Nigeria and across borders. More than a million internally displaced people and refugees must be able to return home,”  Ban Ki-moon

The last Africa Union Summit at Addis Ababa produced amongst several resolutions a concerted multinational action force against the Boko Haram movement in Nigeria; for the first time in 6yrs since the start of Boko Haram’s murderous insurrection, a tangible offensive was being executed against the rampaging terrorists who have seized swaths of territory in North Eastern Nigeria and declaring an Islamic caliphate.

Mapping the Boko Haram Conflict in North Eastern Nigeria
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Boko_Haram_in_Lake_Chad_Region.png

Not limiting their invasive menace to Nigerian territory, Boko Haram has launched cross-border attacks at Northern Cameroun, burning settlements and kidnapping people. Of the several marauding and menacing activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria, the one that first grabbed international attention was the kidnap of over 270 school girls at a secondary school in Chibok on the 14th of April 2014. For the first time, a protest was launched by Nigerians online and on the streets, challenging the Nigerian government to #BringBackOurGirls. Originating from the streets of Abuja, it gained international acclaim with solidarity protests in major cities worldwide. Even young Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai had to visit the Nigerian president to express international concern for the cause.

Obiageli Ezekwensili leading the initiation of the Bring Back Our Girls Campaign at Abuja
Source: http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=83030

After several embarrassing defeats suffered by the Nigerian Army in the fight against the terrorists, which emboldened cross-border attacks against Cameroun by Boko Haram, there was international concern that Boko Haram was toeing the path of the Islamic State (IS) in inflicting a regional terrorist menace thus threatening the stability of Nigeria, Cameroun, Niger, Chad and the wider West and Central Africa Sub-region. With a resurging activity of Alshabab in East Africa and Libya being made ungovernable by several Islamist Militant groups, Africa could not afford another new militant front in West Africa.

Nigeria, being Africa’s most populous Nation and wielding socio-economic powers within West Africa and Africa, could not be allowed to crumble under the binge of Extremist Islamist Militancy.  Aside from the fear of losing an economic powerhouse with its enormous human and natural resources to instability, Nigeria’s neighbours are heavily dependent on her for their socio-economic survival and will crumble under the sheer weight of the influx of refugees from an unstable Nigeria.

Though there have been attempts to the formation of a Multinational Joint Task Force to curb the cross-border menace of Boko Haram, contributing countries (Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroun) initially had not been sincere in maintaining the creed, and that, in part, resulted in the capture of the Multi-National Joint Task Force Base at Baga in January 2015 by Boko Haram.

Armed with loots of weaponry from Baga and other captured Nigerian Army Bases, Boko Haram was poised to carry out their menacing threat to undermine the Nigerian government and, indeed, that of its neighbours. Faced with this threat and the associated problem of stifled economic activities cum refugee influx, Nigeria’s neighbours had no choice but to take the fight to Boko Haram in Nigeria instead of waiting at the borders to repel them.

Following the recommendations of the Africa Union Peace and Security Council, the Africa Union at the last Summit passed a resolution calling for the formation of a Multi-National Joint Taskforce to crush Boko Haram. A force of 7500 soldiers comprising 3,250 Nigerian soldiers, 3,000 Chadian Soldiers, 950 soldiers from Cameroon, 750 from Niger and the remaining 750 from Benin. These figures include not only infantry troops and artillery but also gendarmes and police squads, as well as engineering, logistical and civilian units.

“Nigeria must get involved and honour its promise of providing between 2,500 and 3,000 to the multinational force,” Colonel Didier Badjeck Cameroon’s defence spokesman. 

After several years of mistrust and territorial disputes between Nigeria and her neighbours, for the first time, the once dis-consonant neighbours have agreed to work together to quench a marauding threat to peace and economic development within their common borders, thus providing an African Solution to an African problem.

Though Chad has taken it upon itself to spearhead hostilities against Boko Haram across the borders and spearheading the international force action against Boko Haram within Nigerian territory, the onus and impetus in the counter-insurgency against Boko Haram still lies on Nigeria’s security forces, who themselves are doing their fighting bit to exterminate once and for all the budding threat of Islamic militancy within its borders. Ensuring the Boko Haram menace is nullified once and for all. Never again!

Is Nigeria Tearing Itself Apart?

After years of Military rule, Nigeria clawed back her path to democratic governance in 1999 and for the first time in her history, there have been three successive democratic transitions without Military intervention. Though marred by electoral irregularities, political assassination and post election violence, the Nigerian democratic model is seen as that which is growing from the nascent stage of teething pains to the part of maturity.

Political map of Nigeria

Source: http://newsrescue.com/100-years-100-interesting-facts-nigeria/#axzz3RZNTHPSy

Based on the American Presidential system of government, the Nigerian government is tailored to the Federal System of government with a two term limit of four years each for the executive arm, and an unlimited four year term for the legislative arm. With a skewed Federal system concentrating central power on the executive, the elections for executive posts (Presidential and gubernatorial) are seen as a ‘do or die’ affair. The matter is not helped with the juicy pecuniary emolument attached to political posts coupled with the power to issue contracts which is usually a drain pipe to loot public funds; politics is seen as a worthy full time career/business venture.

Another divisive factor used as a political tool is religion and ethnicity. To the North of the Niger/Benue Rivers, the population is predominantly Muslim and unified by the Hausa language; though still ethnically diverse, the influence of the defunct Sokoto Caliphate which ruled the area during pre-colonial times is still felt and that accounts for the unifying language and religion. Nevertheless, there are pockets of highland areas untouched by the Jihad thus having different ethno-religious mix up. Such areas like Jos, Southern Kaduna being religious/cultural islands (mostly Christianity) differing from their predominantly Muslim Hausa/Fulani neighbours.

South of the Niger-Benue trough to the West, the population is predominantly Yoruba and their religious leaning is a near equal balance of Christianity and Islam albeit mixed with a deep affinity for cultural and indigenous belief/bond. To the East of the Niger River, the population is predominantly of the Igbo ethnic stock and the Niger Delta is awash with an agglomeration of several ethnic leanings, though the Ijaw ethnic group is dominant. Christianity is the dominant religion in this part of the country.

Nigeria’s ethnic diversity

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31101351

Such is the diverse polarity of Nigeria’s ethno-religious mix, making the ethnic/religious leaning of any political aspirant a first point of question. As such, major political parties in Nigeria are cognizant of this so if for example a political aspirant is Christian, his/her running mate must be Muslim. If He/she is from the South, the running mate must be from the North. This principle is referred to as zoning and though it is the constitutional agreement of the ruling PDP (People’s Democratic Party), such norm is widely accepted in the national political consciousness as politically correct.

This has enhanced the deep mistrust along tribal and religious lines especially betwixt the North and South. The North is seen to be politically dominant having produced 8 of Nigeria’s 12 rulers since independence who have spent a combined 30yrs of 54yrs of independence in power.

Agglomerated by British colonial rule, the fault lines in Nigeria’s political make up was evident during the pogrom of the Igbo’s in the North after the first coup d’etat in 1966 which led to a 30month civil war. Ever since, there has been no stop to bloodletting in pockets of sporadic ethnoreligious violence in Northern cities of Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi etc each time targeting Christians and Southerners (either Christian or Muslim). It is however sad to note that after such riots, no master minder/perpetrator is brought to book. This has fuelled suspicion and mistrust conjuring insinuations that the government (at those times controlled by Northerners) where behind the violence.

With the advent of democracy in 1999, power shifted to the south as Ex-Military ruler, Gen. Obasanjo won the presidential elections. His advent to power was seen as power balance after 20 contiguous years of Military rule albeit by Northerners. He went on to rule for two terms and made attempts to push for a third term which was thwarted. The North/South ethno religious mistrust continued to fester during his rule as some governors of Northern states sued for sharia law in their domain. With the Presidency powerless to stop the trend, the entrenched mistrust cascaded into riots in Northern Christian enclaves of Jos and its environs.

Aside, ethno-religious violence, Nigeria’s peace has been taunted by the rise of militancy. This is a resultant of politicians arming thugs to intimidate their opponents and then abandoning or refusing to mop up arms given to these thugs after elections. These actions fuelled the ferocity and menace of the Niger Delta militants in the Niger Delta and Boko Haram in the North East.

The Niger Delta after a long agitation for resource control has produced the Country’s current president in Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and, this has helped to quell the activities of the Militants. However, with elections around the corner and the president intending to run for a second term, there have been associated excerbated fears in the National polity viz:

1.     A prominent Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo have issued a threat that the President either wins the election or not return home as the President must exhaust all available term limit.

2.     There are fears that elections may not hold in some parts of the North East where Boko Haram’s activities are ferocious thus granting illegitimacy to any planned elections.

3.     Security fears have made elections to be postponed from February 14th to March 28 with the intention that the army would have recaptured territories occupied by Boko Haram.

4.     There are innate fears that the elections might not even hold at all with the premise that: If the army could not contain Boko Haram in the last 6 years, how would they in 6 weeks? This might cause a constitutional crisis if the transition programme is thwarted.

5.     The outburst of Militants and opposition leaders threatening war or forming a parallel government casts a shadow of impending violence on the Nation.

Ultimately, the fear is this: If President Jonathan looses at the polls, the Niger Delta militants might begin violence which entails bursting oil pipelines, kidnapping of oil workers all of which will shut down oil production which is the main stay of the economy.

A win for President Jonathan might ignite post election violence in the North and with a delicate security balance unlike 2011;  the security forces might have their hands full in that regard.

Every Nigerian knows what the permutations are and in the end the resilient spirit will wear on, but some lives will be lost and life will go on till another political transition period when the same cycle will be repeated.

INSECURITY IN NIGERIA: EXPOSING A FAULT LINE THAT RUNS DEEP !

Searching for patrols on Nigeria highways? The Nigerian Army is now a common sight! And they most times do so under diverse nomenclatures, such as JTF (Joint Task Force), STF (Special Task Force) and other Operational moniker labels most times with Mobile Police Units. While this may seem plausible in our contemporary world where Armies are now being trained to fight a new style of warfare in urban settings, a critical look into the Nigerian security situation shows that of adverse degradation setting into irredeemable heights by conventional security means!

An Army check point along Rabah road,Kaduna
Source: http://news.naij.com/5986.html

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By tradition, the Police Force and its allied intelligence service is tasked with maintaining internal security, whilst the Army sets its sight at wading off external aggression of all sorts. Between these two forces are several governmental agencies whose activities helps keep the society sane; such as the Customs and border agencies. Whilst these forces are independent standalone agencies, their activities are to work in tandem, ensuring concomitant actions against any threat to the Country’s stability from internal and external sources.

The Nigerian scenario sets a different tune with many gaping loopholes of which is now being exploited by several security assailants such as armed robbers, kidnappers, marauders and ethno-religious militants. Most recently the issue of ethno-religious militancy (sporadic incidents confined to Northern Nigeria) has degenerated into a sustained guerrilla  insurgency both in the North as Boko Haram and in the South as factional agitated armed groups (though both scenarios have different ideological motives). Whatever the nomenclature assigned to these security assailants, the fact remains that gaping holes in the security apparatus have been exploited to plunder by these bandits.

PATHS TO DECLINE

During the first republic (1960-1966), the Country operated a semi autonomous regional style of government. Each region wielded considerable control over governance administration and instruments of governance and they had their own police forces. Neglecting the inadequacies of that period to the excuse of the fact the Nation was just fresh from independence; the security modus operandi was much better than what obtains today.

Then came the Military governments and civil war! One of the resultants of the civil war aftermath was that automated weaponry fell into wrong hands and armed robberies became rampant such as was not experienced during the pre-civil war era. Aside this, the advent of the Military into the Nigerian Political cosmos changed the modus operandi of governance. The four regions was divided into variegated ‘states’ and  most (if not all) instruments of governance was vested on a strengthen Central (Federal) Government. One of such was Policing which was now put under Federal control.

With peculiar divides along religious and cultural lines, security assailants (aside armed robbers) tend to exploit cracks along the National fabric to foment trouble, and such was made manifest in several ethno religious riots in cities above the Niger River. The Kano riots, Kaduna riots, Jos riots being major examples aside the Maitatsine revolt of the 1980’s.

Another disturbing trend peering through the gaping hole of the Nigerian internal security apparatus is the lack of respect for the men of the police force. Over time, the Nigeria Police force has been beset by unwholesome corrupt practices which have made it loose credence in the sight of the populace. As such, not even the mention or threat of the Police commands any form of respect or instill fear among ordinary civilians not to talk of Security assailants---robbers, thieves, looters, rioters…name them!

BRIDGING THE SECURITY LOOPS

Over the years, experience and evidence has shown that the Federal administered Police force is incapable of effectively policing the country due to the following:

*       Inadequate personel: Comprising of about 370,000 men, the Nigeria Police Force is expected to guarantee the security of over 160,000,000 citizens. This ratios 1Police man to about 400 Citizens!. Worst still, a considerable number of Police men are assigned as Security details to Politicians and their aides. This cumulatively leaves about 200,000 Policemen to the entire civilian citizenry. Thus effectively leave 1 policeman to 800 civilians! Nigeria is under policed. To police a nation as large as Nigeria, the Police force has to be at least a million man strong!

*       Lack of Local Government Control: In the spirit of Unitary Federalism, Past Military Governments removed the Police from local to Federal control. As such, members of the Nigeria Police force can be drafted to serve in part of the country. Experience has shown that there is a need for indigent county Policing as respective Nigerian State Governors are acknowledged as ‘Chief Security Officers’ of their domain. They are however handicapped in carrying out this function as all security apparatus are Federally administered. One then wonders why these governors are handed monthly security allowances called ‘security votes’ when they do not actually control the police force in their respective states.

*       Coordinated Collaboration of Security agencies: Another awkward trend within Nigeria’s security apparatus is the lack of collaboration among the security forces. Rather, it is no strange news to hear of some ranks of the Army fighting the Police, Police fighting the Customs, Navy fighting the Police and so on. This usually occurs when law enforcers become law breakers and in a bid to cover up misdeeds, members of the force to which the offender belongs calls for mobilization from comrades to fight the law enforcing authority. This trend clearly shows a lack of collaborative intelligence among the forces because if it does exist, such would never happen.

In modern crime and warfare combat, all forces work as one body and must share intelligence to achieve any tangible success. But when the Army sees the police as an incompetent rival then gaping holes abound within the security apparatus

*       LACK of National data base: Despite huge budgetary allocations to security issues, it’s saddening that the Nigerian Government is not as a matter of urgency accelerating the collation and establishment a National Data base of all citizens. At a time when all that pertains to humanity is now digitized, Nigeria’s records has to go digital. This will go a long way in tracking security assailants especially with the advent of DNA, facial, speech and finger print technology. Sadly, there is no sign that the Police Force is prepared for this task. A day to day interaction with the majority foot soldiers of the police force shows that of a derelict knowledge and grasp of modern day technological trends. Some do not even know how to operate computers let alone surf the internet. If this is the prevalent trend, how can the Police effectively fight modern day crime when it has shifted from life action to cyber action?

*       Poor Policing equipment: Derelict police vehicles are a common sight on Nigerian roads and High way road blocks. Most police posts especially those outside major cities are just sham buildings. Little wonder they provide soft targets for upcoming security assailants. The policing strategy is not up to date with modern day realities. Lacking CCTV’s and high caliber intelligence equipments, the Police results to gun totting and bullying to assert their authority over the civilian populace.

Police-Station-in-Igangan-Osun-State-Nigeria
Source:http://www.indepthnigeria.com/headlines/nigeria-police-stations-a-dpo-shocking-confession-on-what-goes-on-behind-the-scene/

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/12/breaking-news-20-feared-dead-as-gunmen-sacks-police-station-prison-in-adamawa/

*       Porous influx of light and heavy firearms: It’s no news that Nigeria has very porous borders. However, most disheartening is the influx of firearms of different sorts some of which evade the border patrols. Aside the threat of guns, security assailants can now handle fire light mortar shells—a non-conventional domestic weapon fit for warfare. Wherever these are sourced from (either from illegal importation or from armory theft), the trend doesn’t portend a sound combat fortune for the Police force!

A typical BOKO HARAM militancy photoshot. Note the RPGs

A typical Niger Delta Militancy Photoshot.. Note the sophisticated assault weaponry 

For all apparent reasons, the Federal Government should hands off policing for local authorities whilst it does maintain a National police or ‘super paramilitary force’ (National Guard) for special tasks defying conventional policing tactics. Maybe the current National Civil Defence Force could be upgraded to this. This will relieve the military of civil peace keeping duities.

The current security realities do not pose a good trend for the Nigerian Society. The apparent impotence of the Police force to nip the security challenges in the bud shows an endemic failure in of the Country’s security stratagem.

Most shambolic is the deployment of the Armed forces to douse security tensions. It must be noted that the Army was never trained to mingle and keep peace with civilians. Their duty is to make peace by killing. Although the trend of modern day warfare due to guerilla insurgent tactics requires the army acquainting themselves with Urban warfare, for the Army to now be customarily called upon to maintain day to day security and man check points show a great decadence in the National Policing apparatus. As such, these inadequacies are readily deployed against the Police as seen in bank and domestic robberies, ethno-religious riots, Kidnappings, Marauding, Militancy and Insurgency.

Operation Flush!
Source: http://www.ynaija.com/win-n260m-promo-jtf-releases-lists-of-most-wanted-boko-haram-leaders-offers-n290-million-reward-for-information/

This magnifies the situation in the North East especially Borno State where all governmental efforts to nip the insurgency are proving abortive despite a state of emergency; denoting more security errors than the apparent and obvious. 

Until wholelistic measures are taken to reposition the collaborative efforts of the National internal and external security apparatus, robbers, rioters, miscreants and insurgents will continue to have a swell time plundering the peace and tranquility of the Nigerian society.