Security:
Partnership To Fight Insurgency

The Nigerian Army has widened their horoscope in the fight against insurgency by involving faith based groups


The fight against insurgency should be a collective fight by all Nigerians irrespective of beliefs, moreso Boko Haram and other terror groups in the country cannot be defeated by warfare alone The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai stated this at the opening ceremony of a spiritual warfare seminar organized recently by the Nigerian Army for religious leaders and clerics at the Army Resource Centre, Abuja. The COAS further stated that the ideologies of the insurgents which they so much believed on and ready to die for have been their driving force in their deadly activities.

The Army boss said that the seminar was aimed at evolving narratives to defeat the ideologies of religious based terrorists groups operating in the country. He explained that finding appropriate narratives that would counter the ideologies of the terror groups would greatly enhance the efforts of the Nigerian Army against terrorism and terrorist groups. Buratai, who observed that terrorism could not be totally eliminated, noted that the insurgents’ belief in their ideologies remains their strongest driving force, adding that it is easier to kill members of a terrorist group than to eliminate their ideologies.

He challenged the religious leaders to produce appropriate narratives that can effectively counter the ideologies of the insurgents, urging them to leverage on their daily interface with the society to protect the vulnerable people from succumbing to wrong ideologies. He said: “The Nigerian Army has attained great feats in the fight against the insurgents, breaking their ranks and degrading their will to fight, however, the insurgents’ belief in their ideologies remain the driving force, and as such ideological battle can in many ways be more important than the kinetic battle. “It is a well-known fact that terrorism and terrorist groups cannot be totally eliminated by mainly Military actions. This means focusing our efforts on the underlying narratives through ideologies employed by these terrorists to lure innocent citizens to their fold”. He added that Boko Haram’s ideology is classifying western education as sin while the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) is the one that challenges the rational of democratically elected government. According to him, “By its nature, ideology has the power to manipulate what people think, form their opinion and direct their attitude”. This often results in controlling people’s mind to the extent that they accept social contracts that equal denial of rights.

“The need to defeat the ideologies of Boko Haram and ISWAP is based on the awareness that it is the ideologies that enhance their resource and help to recruit new fighters to their fold and as such, kill their ideology and terrorist movement withers and dies”. The Chief of Army Staff summed up by stating that the importance of the seminar is premised on the key roles clerics play in producing appropriate narratives required to counter the ideologies of these religious terror groups. The Chief of Army Staff was represented at the event by Major General Sani Yusuf.

In a similar development the army has stepped up new and advanced operations against insurgency throughout the country. The operations is also meant to ensure a peaceful and conducive atmosphere for all citizens taking into consideration that ending of the year is always characterized with high level and volume of crimes across board. According to the Army operations media coordinator, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, troops in the various operational theatres across the country had continued to decimate and frustrate activities of criminal elements in line with the resolve of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai.

He also disclosed that the Sector 3 supported by the Air Task Force of the Operation Lafiya Dole had successfully repelled an attack on Gubio in Borno recently. Iliyasu said that in Yobe, troops discovered two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) along a route in Buni Gari in Gujba local government area and safely detonated them. He also said that a joint operation with the police had yielded positive results in Cross River and Lagos states in recent times. He quoted the chief of army staff as reassuring the public of the unwavering resolve of the army to safeguard the territorial integrity of the country with the support of civil authority.

In solidarity with the Nigerian Army, a group, the Coalition for Human Rights and Human Rights Monitoring Group (CHRHRG) has planned a tour of the northeast region to access operations of the military against Boko Haram insurgents. The group also said that the tour would provide them the opportunity to interface with community leaders, NGOs and other critical stakeholders in the region.

According to the coalition, the tour would also review the military’s operations in the region which hope to eliminate every measure of doubts and falsehood being levelled against the Nigerian troops. The Group has expressed satisfaction with the military’s sovereignty of Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, September 30, the executive director of the coalition, Gabriel Agibi, commended the military for its doggedness and reliance in flushing out remnants of Boko Haram terrorists. Agibi said the coalition will also interface with community leaders, NGOs and other critical stakeholders in the region to obtain objective responses on the efforts of the federal government in the fight against insurgency. Agibi said such move would also afford them the opportunity to take a cursory look at the operational strategies of the military. He also said the tour would review military’s operations in the region which hope to eliminate every measure of doubts and falsehood being leveled against the Nigerian troops.