New Telegraph

How influx of foreign fighters contribute to insecurity in Nigeria

How the influx of foreign fighters into the Nigerian shores, otherwise called mercenaries, continued to contribute to insecurity in Nigeria was among the discussions that recently held participants spellbound at Ikeja, Lagos State. This discussion topped the agenda during an event tagged; Focus Group Discussion on the Barriers and Bridges to Accountability in the Defence and Security Sector in Nigeria.

The event was organised by Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in collaboration with Transparency International-Defence and Security. According to CISLAC, due to insecurity in Nigeria, at least over 2,334 people lost their lives in 2021.

The organisation also mentioned that the year 2021 observed over 935 attacks, expressing fear that the number might increase in 2022 if the Federal Government and relevant security agencies do not take proactive measures. The Programme Manager, Defence and Security, CISLAC, Mr. Salaudeen Hashim, speaking on the impact of importing foreign fighters into Nigeria, said: “Let’s highlight the influx of foreign fighters into the country; these aliens are not properly controlled, and inability to control them has continued to threaten the security architectural system. Our borders are very porous and yes, we have 2000 square kilometres of areas that are not properly policed.

But wherever policing is going on within the borders, a lot of commercialization is also going on by personnel. They look the other way, allowing aliens to move in and out of the country. “The Nigeria Customs Service officials need to begin to tighten up porous borders. There seemed to be some efforts coming up, but they need to do more. We’ve seen where customs officials have been able to expose containers full of arms and ammunition, but there are still areas where this commercialization is going on.

There are over 70 percent of the 80 million small arms in this country and most of these weapons go into the hands of opposition groups and pass through the borders.” Hashim explained that these things continued to happen following the collapse of Libya, and the North African nation has continued to either export foreign fighters or weapons into Nigeria.

He added: “We need to tighten up more around border patrols with land borders, sea borders and piracy. The Gulf of Guinea is one of the biggest threats to security, which will need to be regulated. For those who have the responsibilities, we ask that they should do more or we may continue to experience this situation. Deliberate approach towards checking this insecurity is the correct strategy to adopt.” The security analyst explained that commercialization of personnel, which means security personnel turning their duty post to business avenues, began from the point of recruitment.

His words: “The commercialization of the security personnel recruitment process has also been pointed out and fingered as one of the biggest challenges that is confronting us today. We have seen men who, at various times, were requested to pay before they were recruited into the system. Unfortunately, it’s actually a case of living in self-denial, where the system continues to deny that this is happening. How well do we vet personnel when they have paid to become part of the system? It also shows the danger of not vetting, which ordinarily should be used to determine the previous records of the personnel and their psychosocial health and characters. Lack of vetting has actually failed in the first place, the need to apply processes and procedures in ensuring that we have the right personnel.” According to Hashim, that same poor recruitment processes were the reason some personnel dress shabbily and behave poorly toward civilians.

He stated that there was a need to re-evaluate the security architecture in the country, in order to make it functional. “Seeking juicy postings by security personnel is also one of the biggest challenges confronting the security system. Juicy posting, as it is called, is one of the issues that need to be tackled.

So, it’s not only about recruitment. People do a lot of racketeering around and right now, most personnel want to be posted to the Niger Delta region. This is because they want to join the already big trade of military involvement in oil in that region. We have seen examples, which tell us clearly that it was not because they wanted to carry out service to the nation that made most security personnel do everything possible to be posted to that region. They year for gratification and monetary gains,” said Hashim.

He argued that security agencies were not revenue generating agencies and shouldn’t be treated or seen as such. He stressed that there was a need to revisit situations whereby security personnel were deployed to protect VIPS, which was not their primary duties.

He noted: “If you have about 300,000 policemen and we’ve already taken out about 100,000 into postings for commercial purposes, then we’re left with just a handful to carry out their rightful duties. That in itself is a setback and it suggests that even if the government is deliberate, there are activities or behaviour that does not support the intentions of the government. It is important for us to be very deliberate in doing that. We do not have the government’s presence in so many spaces.

Those are the places where threats are imminent, and they happen on a regular basis.” The Executive Director of CISLAC, Mr. Auwal Ibrahim Musa, represented by a board member of the organisation, Barrister Oke Adesina, said that Jihadist violence in Nigeria and the broader Lake Chad Basin was at best, protracted. He noted that for 12 years, communities in the region had been raided, with the human population sacked and plunged into depths of humanitarian crisis. He continued: “Nigeria’s military forces have unrelentingly waged war against the insurgents. Yet, there is no clear end in sight.

Indeed, annihilated insurgency groups are re-emerging, posing new threats and continuing old terrors. The latest report holds that the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) is regrouping. ISWAP, a 2016 splinter group from Boko Haram, is allegedly better funded, more educated, and deadlier security concern for the country. The group’s strategy can be argued to be more focused on hard targets in its bid to destroy the Nigerian state’s presence and, in its place, establish an Islamic caliphate.

“In 2019, the Federal Government of Nigeria alleged that some Nigerians were helping bandits to evade capture. In 2022, the wave may have shifted. Some traditional rulers now want them killed. The reasons may be simple; banditry is a top security issue in Nigeria. “About 2,334 people died in 935 events recorded in 2021.

Communities in the northwest and north central Nigeria have seen the worst of the menace. In 2022, bandits, now officially classified as terrorists by the Nigerian government, are still attacking communities and leaving trails of bodies, blood and ruin behind.

Therefore, it is unsurprising for some community stakeholders to ask for the elimination of bandits. However, that is not enough.” Musa said that the government must push for more community buy-in, adding that Lagos was gradually witnessing pockets of attacks as predicted by CISLAC some years ago. He mentioned that the connivance of some residents who served as informants for bandits undermines security operations. Therefore, the Nigerian government should deploy measures to bring communities closer to the government, especially security agencies.

“In addition, awareness campaigns to gather support for the Nigerian forces combating bandits would help improve civil-military relations. From news reports, vested interests and other sentimental issues appear to be triggering violence in the region. Military efforts may seem like the best solution to the issue of banditry, but paying close attention to the socio-economic and socio-cultural dimensions of the conflict is equally important in building peace and stability in the area,” said Musa.

He explained that CISLAC in collaboration with Transparency International- Defence and Security with the support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs had worked collectively to institutionalize an accountable system that is vibrant, robust and effective.

He opined that there were gaps within the existing security architecture, which could be monitored and tracked. He also said: “Beyond community buy-in, security and human capital development should also be prioritised in the flashpoints. Although community buy-in will help improve combative efforts through access to local intelligence, increasing development assistance for crisis-impacted communities will address the consequences of armed banditry on the population.

In addition, the development intervention will help present a good image of the Nigerian state and equally set the pathway for state-community relations. “Accountability helps build the confidence and legitimacy needed to overcome societal mistrust. I want to emphasise that CISLAC has worked closely with various ministries, departments and agencies of government as well as CSOs at state and national level. Defence agencies and media in delivering on the project outcomes.

This has led to the formation of various policy shifts. “Some communities in Northern Nigeria have known bandits’ violence, lived with it and engaged in it. Do we want to also wait for that scenario to begin to play out in other regions? Indeed, bandits have grown in audacity, the tempo of attacks and have transitioned to a top security threat in Nigeria.

In some instances, bandits impose levies on communities, send letters of warning and impending bloodletting. The scenario in many flashpoints affected by bandits is anguish, brutish life, forced evictions from households, deprivation from livelihood sources and a seemingly unending humanitarian crisis. About 2,334 people died in 935 events recorded in 2021. Should we expect fatal attacks in 2022 or a more coordinated approach? We all are here to answer these questions.”

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