Between the month of January and March, 2019, about 20 security meetings took place between President Muhammadu Buhari and the heads of the nation’s security agencies.
The regular Security Council meetings at the Presidential Villa are held to review security situations across the country as well as fine-tune security operations to meet current needs as they arise.
Security Chiefs also use the opportunity to brief Mr. President on critical security issues, requiring urgent attention.
Since he assumed office in 2015, the President has maintained the same security team made up of Defence Minister, Mansur Dan-Ali; Babagana Monguno, national security adviser; Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai; Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar, and Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Iba.
Only the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar and Director General of the Department of State Security Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, are new entrants.
Against the backdrop of increasing killings across the country, especially in Zamfara and the upsurge in kidnappings on the Abuja/ Kaduna expressway, Nigerians are beginning to wonder what these meetings have really achieved.
This is in addition to the growing audacity of the Boko Haram insurgents who recently formed strong alliance with the Isis to transform into ISWAP, or the Islamic State of West Africa Province.
Elder statesman, Tanko Yakassai, believes that the Service Chiefs have long overstayed and therefore, are now bereft of new ideas on how to tackle the nation’s security challenges
“It was Albert Einstein who defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. So, how can we expect a better result from these same people?”
“Lets us keep hoping that the President Buhari will see the need to retool his security apparatus to make it more efficient in his second tenure,” he said.
Added to this is the precarious security situation on the Abuja/Kaduna expressway which reached an alarming proportion during the week as dare devil kidnappers now raid the less-than-300km road in broad daylight.
But for the intervention of Governor Nasir El- Rufai, on Tuesday afternoon, several commuters plying the road would have been taken hostage for ransom for the second day running after the “successful” raid they had on Monday evening.
The Governor’s convoy on the way to Abuja had run into the raid at about 3.30pm on Tuesday and saved several commuters who were already held hostage.
One of the lucky survivors, Yunusa Alhassan, while narrating his ordeal, said he ran into the road block raised by the kidnappers who were wearing military camouflage.
“I had some passengers with me when l saw the people, so l did not want to risk their lives because once you cooperate they will protect you. But if you are stubborn they don’t mind killing everyone instantly.
“Initially, l think say them be Nigeria Soldiers, but when l saw how some of them dressed, l tell my passengers make them no run, because they can shoot,” he said in pidgin English.
“Some of them wore canvass, some jeans, but with military tops.”
“We thank God that governor came. But for how long are we going to be like this? Kaduna road was one of the most peaceful in this country. If you like, travel at night. But now, even in the afternoon, we are no longer safe,” he lamented.
The incidence took place at Akilubu village along the area known as Katari to Rijana, which remains the most dreaded portion of the road.
Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari had, while lamenting the spate of killings in the state, estimated that well over 4000 persons have lost their lives to “bandits” in the gold-rich region of the state.
This corroborates with earlier claims by Senator Sa’idu Dansadau who revealed that about 3000 lives were lost as at July, last year, following two years of siege by the bandits.
Aside the loss of human lives, economic activities in the state have been halted with over N2billion paid as ransom to secure the release of residents abducted, during the period.
He put the number of villages and towns ravaged at 682, while about 4,000 farmers have fled their communities and moved to neighbouring Katsina and Kebbi states
This is just as over 13,838 cattle, and 11,088 sheep and goats have been stolen.
The bandits are said to be taking advantage of the vast unsecured and poorly policed forests from the Basuguma forest of neighboring Sokoto, expanding to Kuyambana forest that also borders Kaduna, Birnin Gwari, Niger.
“We also have Kuyambana Dansado forest there, in Katsina; we have Rugu and at South East of Zamfara where we have Maradi; we have forest there,” he said.
He lamented that despite paying huge ransoms, the situation did not abate, adding that “I have told my people that negotiation and dialogue will no longer take place during my time, because, l have done that three times but it did not work. This is in the sense that we now know their capacity. For instance, during the first dialogue, they invited some of our team, army, DSS, police and my chief security officer as well as some traditional rulers’ representatives and we have seen what they have.
“Yes, they are in control of the kind of weapons that the Command in Zamfara State does not have. In one armory alone, they have over 500 AK47, we saw it. Our people were even given chance to take pictures. But when we said we will dialogue, offer amnesty, that they should surrender their arms, I can tell you till date we did not get up to 90 AK47, so it is a deceit. That is why I said no more dialogue during my tenure.”
These are pointers to the fact that Nigeria, more than ever before, needs to urgently inject fresh ideas to tackle the growing insecurity.
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
