January 26, (THEWILL) – The recent increase in military attacks against the seemingly invincible terrorists, particularly in the North-East geopolitical zone, is a welcome development.
The last few weeks have been quite challenging and scary for many Nigerians, not only in the bandits-infested North-West where the Nigerian military has concentrated its attacks and firepower but also in the North-East and some parts of the South-East and South-West where there is fear of renewed attacks by bandits and terrorists.
There was an upsurge in terror attacks, particularly in the North-East and North-West. The audacious manner by which terrorists operated across the geo-political zones has given the military authorities cause for concern.
In the North-East, terrorists linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, attacked a military base in Sabon Gida, Damboa, Borno State, killing eight soldiers.
Boko Haram insurgents attacked the Shikarkir community in the Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State and burned down a church and houses.
The murderous attacks extended to Kankara General Hospital in Katsina State where two persons were shot dead and a doctor nearly lost his life. In Kaita Local Government Area of the state, where 30 persons were killed in similar circumstances, the situation is just as bad as the incident in Natsini Village in Argungu LGA of Kebbi where Lakurawa bandits attacked and killed persons and rustled unspecified number of cows.
Other states in the zone, namely Kaduna and Zamfara, where over 40 persons, mostly children and women were killed, Jigawa which lost 11 people, Sokoto where five soldiers were killed in a military duel with Lakurawa terrorist group, also had their share of the terror.
In another development, two Catholic reverend sisters on Ufuma Road in Orumba North LGA of Anambra State while they were returning from a vocational association meeting in Ogboji.
The Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, disclosed on Thursday that over 1,000 households were displaced in a series of attacks on communities.
Generally, 77 persons lost their lives, with 43 kidnapped, in different terror attacks that took place in 10 states in the last one week. Also, many houses were burnt and more than 1,000 residents were displaced. The situation is so bad that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State had to raise the alarm that intelligence reports showed that terrorists fleeing the war zone in the North-West had infiltrated the South-West.
Addressing these rampant and deadly attacks, the Nigerian military on Thursday said the influx of foreign fighters providing reinforcement to local terror groups in Nigeria, is responsible for the recent resurgence of terrorist attacks in the North-East and North-West.
The Director, Defence Media Operation, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, stated this while briefing journalists on the operations of the armed forces a fortnight ago.
He said, “These foreign fighters are from the Sahelian Region. The other contributing factor is the local collaborators that form a support base for these terrorists. They serve as informants to the terrorist reporting on troop movement. In spite of the situation, troops are profoundly conscious of their role and responsibility in ending insurgency and terrorism in the nation.”
The alarming situation has attracted reactions, not surprisingly, from retired generals in the Nigerian army.
Brig. Gen. Bashir Adewinibi, for instance, blamed the porous borders for the influx of militants, urging the government to tighten security at the borders to contain the terrorists. For him, military and political solutions should be adopted to solve the worrisome development.
Similarly, retired Brig. Gen. Aliyu Momoh, has waded into the situation by calling for better funding and mass support for the military, adding that the identified problems creating obstacles on effective military campaigns should be addressed.
Both retired generals could not have said it better. Even so, the combined efforts of the Nigeria Airforce and Army has yielded some good results, particularly with the dislodgement of the base and structure of the notorious bandit, Bello Turji. Although he is still at large, the elimination of some of his commanders, including his son and brother sends a strong message that banditry and terrorism is at the receiving end, with a high possibility of defeat and elimination.
We urge government and military chiefs to sustain the heat on the bandits so as to restore some form of guaranteed security to many of the affected victims and Nigerians in general, whose life pattern has been disrupted by living in constant fear of attacks.
