When Security Chiefs Spoke Truth to Power 

With the recent revelations by the security chiefs on why wanton killings, kidnappings, payment of ransoms, and oil theft, have not been effectively eradicated in the country, it is evident that lack of good governance, absence of political will, aloofness and corruption are the reasons why the problems still persist, Louis Achi writes

The Service Chiefs spoke truth to power when they appeared before the House of Representatives recently to address the issues that have bedevilled their operational efficiency and effectiveness in tackling the insecurity affecting Nigeria. Pushing compelling candour and courage, the military chiefs, led by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, told the lawmakers the core truths about the nation’s security quandary which held them spellbound.

Also present at the session were the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja; and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogala; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

With the way General Musa took time in his submission, to reel out why wanton killings, kidnappings, banditry, payment of ransoms, militancy and oil theft, have not been effectively eradicated in the country it was not difficult for the lawmakers to understand that lack of good governance and political will, aloofness and official corruption were the reasons why the problems still persist.

First the CDS blamed the judiciary for releasing arrested Boko Haram suspects after being arrested by the military.

Hear him: “I have been in the North-east; there were a lot of Boko Haram elements that have been captured. We have kept them for five/six years. We, the armed forces can arrest but cannot prosecute. Some of them have been found wanting, but no prosecution.

“We are keeping them for this lengthy period; everyone is accusing the armed forces of keeping them against their human rights, but we cannot prosecute. Another aspect of the judiciary is that you use all your efforts to make an arrest, you hand them over, and before you enter your vehicle, the man has been released on bail.

“Now you have risked yourself in doing that; by the time he is released, he goes to tell the people the person that arrested him. Now your family members or you are at risk.”

 According to him, the situation is so bad that prison warders conspire with Boko Haram suspects in their custody in the planning and execution of their felonious crimes, using even the bank accounts of these warders to transfer operational funds.

Boko Haram members kept in prison and other criminal suspects are known to have been often released by the judiciary, only for them to return to their evil enterprise to threaten the family members of soldiers.

In the South-east, General Musa wondered why the federal government through the Nigerian mission in Finland where the factional leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa is based, has not engaged the government of the European country to curtail his activities, saying that he is a threat to Nigeria.

 “We have the issue in the South-south; the last ship that was arrested was 10 years ago; the ship went and changed its name, changed its colour and came back again. By the time they handed over the ship and before you know it, it was released.”

He suggested: “We must have a special court to look into it. That is why we arrest and destroy them because the longer we keep them, it becomes a problem.”

A clearly exasperated CDS said it was getting to a state where the security forces would not want to make any effort and warned: “People are hungry. No matter how well you tell them to keep the peace, they will not because they have to eat and it aids criminality.” 

Other dimensions worsening the nation’s insecurity are the porous borders with Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin. The CDS appropriately drew attention to these. He stressed that 1,000 unmanned borders of about 4,000 kilometres -1,600 kilometres shared with our Sahelian neighbours – worsen the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country.

On a more positive note, he said that at the moment, about 140,000 terrorists have surrendered and are awaiting disarmament, assuring that there is no single territory currently being occupied by Boko Haram insurgents.

A significant swathe of ungoverned spaces, lack of good governance and political will, puzzling indifference and official corruption constitute the icings on the cake driving the regressive forces reminiscent of afflictions of mediaeval Europe.

On his part, Lagbaja highlighted some of the challenges facing the Nigerian Army, which include funding, logistics, and manpower while the NAF chief, Abubakar said the major challenges facing the Nigerian Air Force in the conduct of air operations include the rising cost of aviation fuel; delay in funding release, targeting complexity, porous borders and manpower disposition.

Ogalla, on his part, urged the House of Representatives to ensure adequate appropriations for the service to acquire resources to enable it to achieve its mandate. He said the resources were basically required in terms of fleet renewal, aircraft and support facilities.

“The Navy is just about 30,000 for now. We are making efforts to expand the size of the navy and train them adequately to be able to meet its objectives,” he said.

Amidst all these challenges, the judiciary occupies a central place to provide timely justice for the victims of insecurity.

This is why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must listen to the Service Chiefs and support the rule of law by fully backing the judiciary.

He should listen to the Service Chiefs and free his government from former President Muhammadu Buhari’s perceived double standards in fighting terrorism and the unabashed disregard for the rule of law.

Not many Nigerians have forgotten the 400 terror financiers that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), helped Nigeria to identify in April 2021.

 These buzzards were never prosecuted in sync with anti-terrorism law.

Meanwhile, in the UAE, Messrs Abubakar Ado Musa, Salihu Yusuf Adamu, Bashir Ali Yusuf, Mohammed Ibrahim Isa, Ibrahim Ali Alhasan and Surajo Abubakar Muhammad were promptly arrested, put on trial and convicted. The UAE authorities swiftly transferred $782,000 from Dubai to Nigeria. While Salihu Adamu received a life sentence, Surajo and others were slammed with 10-year jail terms each.

Surprisingly, more than two-and-a-half years later, Nigeria is still shielding them. Such arrant, and criminal duplicity kill whatever remedy the N3.25 trillion in the 2024 budget for security is set to achieve. And worse, this mirrors the core concerns of the military chiefs.

The recent developments with the nation’s judiciary like filling unconscionable vacancies, promotions and some disciplinary adjudication only address a part of the subsisting challenges.

Appropriately remunerated judiciary, mainstreaming of technology in judiciary’s processes, real autonomy from political influence and the induction of justices with sterling records are important.

At the end of the deliberations, lawmakers may have regretted inviting the service chiefs, as their revelations inadvertently hit them hard, having been part of the problem, through their actions and inactions.