New Telegraph

Winning terror war won’t come cheap – Odeyemi

Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi, a security analyst and a counter-terrorism expert, is the Convener of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups Against Terrorism in Nigeria. In this interview, he speaks on the war against insurgency and banditry and the need for improved funding of the military, among other issues. Wale Elegbede reports

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) recently filed a lawsuit in court seeking a declaration that the service chiefs immediately proceed on one month pre-retirement leave. What do you think might come from this?

I won’t want to comment on the issue, especially as it concerns the CUPP suit because it is already before the court of law as it will be subjudice to address or delve into that. However, it is apparent to all and sundry that the calls for the removal of the service chiefs has been politicised and quite a number of people are using it to settle political scores and this is so disheartening.

Recently, I read a story credited to a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Alani Akinrinade (rtd.), where he said the sacking of the heads of the armed forces in the country is at the discretion of the president, who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and this has always been my position.
In the interview, the former Army chief said service chiefs don’t have tenure and he also that it is not stated anywhere that the Chief of Army Staff has to serve for four years or as Chief of Defence Staff, your tenure is for two years. All that aside, we shouldn’t be quick to forget that the man at the helms of affair, President Muhammadu Buhari, is a retired general of the Nigerian Army, and as such, I believe he has both the experiential and composite knowledge of what is going on, especially in the fight against insurgency in some North-East states.

On the other side, I think we should also give kudos to these service chiefs for what they have done so far because when we look back to where we are coming from and where we are, security wise, we can give them a well-deserved commendation. However, like every other human institution, there is always more to do and more grounds to still cover.

As a counter-terrorism expert, what is your professional assessment of issues of lack of equipment on the part of the Nigerian Army to confront terrorists?

I think it is a sensitive subject to touch on but my response will not be a yes or no. Recently, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, disclosed that some world powers have refused to sell needed weapons to Nigeria to fight insurgency in the country. He actually said that some members of the international community should help Nigeria with these sensitive platforms, so that the country can fight insecurity more effectively. However, we are aware that the country has been taking delivery of some other weapons on a daily basis.

Though these may not currently suffice for the huge battle taking place in the North-East, but the reality is that our troops on the battlefront have been able to attain the victory they are securing daily against insurgents. So, our findings revealed that we are not there yet but we can still do more, especially with the support of the international community. But we must realise that at the heart of all this is funding and that is where I am going to dwell on. Globally, the fight against insurgency is capital intensive and nobody should shy away from that obvious reality. We cannot be underfunding the army and expect to see exceptional results. It doesn’t happen that way.

Is this underfunding responsible for insinuations that the military is not motivated for intelligence gathering, welfare and other necessary requirements to tackle insurgency?

I won’t say that because many of those reports of lack of motivation that you read are handiworks of Fifth Columnists, who have one sinister interest or the other. But the truth is that nothing is too much for our gallant soldiers on the war front because of their bravery, commitment and patriotism. I think we must give credit to the President and Commander in Chief, Buhari, our service chiefs, most especially the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, the leader of the counter insurgency operations for their painstaking commitment in the physical and professional welfare of the men of the Nigerian Army, other sister security agencies and their families. The support has energized them to put all they have and that was the reason for the decapitation and decimation of the insurgents.

Be that as it may, our organization, which comprises of over 150 civil society groups, has repeatedly said that the government should improve funding for the military in this fight against insurgents. The war against terror is not a conventional war and it will not end until the terrorists have been found, stopped, and defeated.

That doesn’t come cheap but with adequate funding, organised strategy and patriotism, it is achievable. I am personally excited that the current leadership of the Nigerian Army is not only accountable but also responsible to the public. Recently, the Socio- Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) requested the budget and accounts of the Nigerian Army and General Buratai packaged everything in volume and handed it over to them.

SERAP wrote an appreciation letter to the army and said this is a clear departure from the past. There is no doubt that there is fundamental difference between the Nigerian military of the past and the incumbent. Today, we no longer hear stories of diversion of funds meant for equipment and machinery being converted into personal usage. I think the leadership of our military deserves commendation on this.

Some Nigerians recently commended General Buratai for his gesture at donating a three-bedroom apartment to an 85-yearold retired soldier who was ejected from his previous abode. What is your take on that?

I think it’s a very commendable effort and we must eulogize such act because it is a motivational drive for both serving and retired soldiers. As Nigeria’s number one soldier, Buratai, by his actions, has shown that he has singular fulfillment in ensuring that his officers, either those in the frontline of war or retired, live a decent life. For me, the unalloyed commitment and milk of human kindness of General Buratai has reignited a true Nigerian spirit within and outside the military.

What explanation can be adduced to reports of attacks in Borno State by Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP)?

Like I said earlier, this war is not a conventional war and from the tactical point of operation, what we are having now is pockets of isolated attacks on some soft targets by the few remnants of the decimated but now very desperate Boko Haram/ ISWAP terrorist and we must eulogize the military, especially the officers and men of the Nigerian Army for this audacious feat.

I think we must first cast a glance at the back and look at where we are coming from as regards the timeline of insurgency in Nigeria. That way, we can appreciate the enormous work, which is still in progress that the Chief of Army Staff and his troops are doing on field.

I think a major boost to the war was the relocation of General Buratai to the North-East early April to oversee and coordinate troops of the Nigerian Army in the counter-insurgency war against Boko Haram and ISWAP, and it has led to the decimation of the terrorists, their hideouts and collaborators. I want to urge the Federal Government to raise a strong intelligence force within the Army, other security agencies and the citizens to finally nail the activities of the insurgents. More than ever, intelligence gathering is crucial at this stage and I know that such collaboration will return peace to those parts of the country.

You recently delivered a paper at a one-day seminar for social media influencers’ on civil-military relation. What was the takehome from the intervention?

I must first commend the Department of Civil-Military Affairs created by General Buratai to bridge the perceived gap of the divide between the Army and the civil populace, and also win the hearts and minds of the populace across the country. The seminar came at a challenging time when fake news is menacingly fueling insecurity and hampering the efforts of the military.

The import of the seminar was that media practitioners need to be ethical and professional in their reportage and posts. You know, the capacity of social media to influence and shape opinion is huge and it plays a critical outcome in the battle being fought. Therefore, the right information and correct narratives must be the hallmark of reports and posts.

As the military continues to consolidate on the gains achieved in the fight against insurgency in the North- East, I think the focus of reportage from online reports should be geared towards ensuring that displaced persons are fully returned to their ancestral homes and stabilized in their communities. This will counter the negative narrative and ideology of the Boko Haram terrorists. Thankfully, the military has a very active and resourceful media unit that can assist the media to balance their reportage, shun fake or malicious news and ensure they promote peace and security across Nigeria.

To what extent is the web of fake news and orchestrated media attacks taking a toll against the military and the fight against insurgents?

Well, we are in the internet age and modern wars are largely fought using the cyberspace platform. Interestingly, cyberspace communication can be used for both positive and negative purposes. That was why I commended the Department of Civil-Military Affairs for engaging online professionals across the South-West in Osogbo, Osun State. Nigerians are entitled to their opinions under the right to freedom of expression. Thankfully, the current administration also holds the freedom of expression of Nigerians as guaranteed under the constitution in high esteem.

But that right does not give anyone the acquiescence to bolster the activities of those against the interest of Nigeria. It is such a heart-rending development to see some people deliberately pushing the narrative of falsehoods and mendacity from the comfort of their homes and then feeding some members of the public with their concocted lies. This web of fake news has its implications and those spreading it among the populace should know that they are only fanning the ember of terror and they are enemies of truth.

These people use a different medium to spread falsehood against the military and what the troops are doing in the warfront. They are on social media, traditional media, and so on. Some of our researches have shown that some political tendencies and interests, local and international, are actually the masquerades behind some of these concocted lies against the military and ongoing operations in the North-East. But if there is any time for Nigerians to be on the same page with regards to the prosecution of the war against terrorism in the country, it is now. If we don’t support our troops, who do you think will support them?

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