Obstacles In Nigerian Military War Against Boko Haram, By Samuel Olanrewaju

Legit.ng guest writer Samuel Olanrewaju Bill enlists factors that, according to him, hinder efforts of Nigerian military in the war against the Boko Haram plague.

"Many Nigerians and non-Nigerians see our military as weak and incapable to win the war against the deadly Boko Haram.

"I boldly rise to their defence. Our gallant officers have capacity to conquer terrorism. They are million times more skilful and better-equipped than the insurgents.

"Remember that Nigeria was the mainstay of the ECOWAS army [ECOMOG; Economic Community of West African States and Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group respectively]. Nigerian military still remains one of the best in Africa, and they have done a lot to sustain the unity of this nation.

"I accept the fact that they have their weaknesses. I acknowledge that much still needs to be improved in order for our soldiers to stand shoulder to shoulder with their counterparts from other countries.

"However, there are many obstacles to successful military operations in quenching Boko Haram activities. I'll name some of them:

► Nigeria has a habit of playing politics with everything in a row. No secret that there are definitely politics and politicians involved in managing and supporting Boko Haram affairs. Some politicians are even using terrorism to tarnish the image of the President Goodluck Jonathan-led government.

► Let's say the truth even if it is bitter. Millions of Nigerian Muslims strongly condemn and distance themselves from Boko Haram activities and terrorism in general. However, there are many people with extremist views who still support the sect and believe in their cause, some soldiers and officers of the Nigerian Army among them. This sabotages all efforts of the faithful ones, since these judases provide the terrorists with crucial information about the upcoming operations and military movements.

► Corruption is one of the major Nigeria's problems and greatly affects our military. Every year, billions of naira are allocated to acquire new weapons, update and upgrade the ones on ground, to training, salaries, allowances and welfare of military personnel. However, the case is that the money is seldom channelled to appropriate quarters. Due allowances to junior officer are either not paid at all or paid late.

► Beneficiaries of military conflicts. It's no news that some people are sponsoring all kinds of unrest, wars and crises to benefit financially from it.

► On the other hand, Nigerian military needs strong financial back-up to hunt for terrorist supporters to cut off their replenishment. Inability to arrest terrorism sponsors is a big setback.

► Strong back-up, lots of supporters of Boko Haram. Clearly, some of the most notable, strong, powerful Nigerians are behind terrorism in Nigeria. This lobby can be found in the government and among top military, paramilitary and other officials. They serve as advisers and the backbone to this group.

► Leakage of information, strategies and plans. This happens in two ways: some military members loyal to the terrorists leak the information, and, on the other hand, the Nigerian military often make no secret of their plans, publicizing and openly discussing them.

► Evidence suggests that many international terrorist formations, such as Al-Qaeda, Somalia-based Al-Shabaab, Iraqi-Syrian militant group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Afghanistan-based Taliban, etc. are giving Boko Haram training, assist them in intelligence gathering, support them financially and provide weapons.

► It is not easy for any military to fight a guerrilla war, especially with a terrorist group. You don't win war with terror in a day. Even countries like Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, etc., which have strong military base, are still battling terrorism.

► Low morale is also eating at the Nigerian military. Junior officers sent to the heart of war usually don't get much moral support from their superiors, government and civilians. Some Nigerians even offer their support to the terrorists.

► Poor government plan for military. Nigeria has lost a lot of intrepid officers to different wars, but what has our government done to honour these fallen heroes? Whenever our football team wins a trophy, our authorities shower them with property and money. Whenever we lose an officer, the only thing he deserves from Nigerian government is flowers at his burial ground. What of the children, the widow, siblings and relatives he left behind? Government should create proper conditions for our fighters for them to see that this country is worth protecting and even dying for.

► Financial bodies, headed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, should monitor both foreign and local money transfer operations to be able to alert law enforcement agencies in case of any suspicious transactions.

► I would like to point out that law enforcement agencies need to put in more efforts. Look at our borders: free as a church gate! In fact, we don't even know the total number of routes to our country. Where are our customs officers? We have millions of illegal immigrants roaming our street, so what is the function of Nigeria Immigration Service? Thousands of unregistered vehicles, where is the FRSC? All other paramilitary forces need to work closely with the military to complement their efforts.

► The State Security Service (SSS, also known as the Department of State Services (DSS)), the National Intelligence Agency, Defence Intelligence Agency - all should work to assist the military. While in these modern times, intelligence reporting is paramount, Nigerian military still lacks capacity in this sphere.

► Speaking of government agencies and parastatals, they need to provide more of important information to the military, too. National Identity Management Commission, National Bureau of Statistics, National Emergency Management Agency, Joint Task Force should offer their services to combat proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

► Civilians are reluctant to cooperate with the military in providing useful information. I think that national security is everyone's business and concern!

"I urge all Nigerians to give our military as much moral support as possible. We should encourage them, believe in them, pray for them, remember they are not ghosts but ordinary men and women like us. Together, we can put an end to terrorism in Nigeria and build a better nation! God bless Nigerian military, God bless Nigeria!"

Mr. Olanrewaju's (who can be contacted at samolabill@gmail.com) text appears on Legit.ng within the framework of our Guest Blogger project. We strongly believe it is essential to engage in dialogue with our readers and let fellow Nigerians to hear each other out. If you have something to say on a topical issue, or are a professional in a certain field and want your article to be published, contact us at info@naij.com to discuss collaboration!

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Source: Legit.ng