Jibrin Ndace: How Nigeria’s Decorated War Journalist Documents Insurgency Experience
The fight against insurgency in Nigeria wouldn’t be a conversation without mentioning three significant entities; the government, civil society groups, and the media. These three entities have been the focal point in the fight against insurgency in the country.
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But, it is essential to note that the role of journalism in the fight against terrorism supersedes all other entities mentioned earlier.
Journalists, like soldiers, have given their all and lives and risked their careers digging deep to unearth incredible facts one wouldn’t think existed.
Jibrin Baba Ndace, an A-list war journalist, is one of the few in the profession who has been to the combat zone between the Nigerian Military and the daredevil monsters disrupting the nation’s peace.
Who is Jibrin Baba Ndace
Jibrin Baba Ndace is a man of many callings in the media sector. He is an embodiment of all aspects of the media that you can think of.
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Aside from being a war journalist, he served as the Chief Press Secretary to Niger State Governor Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello, during his tenure.
Ndace is a public relations practitioner, public affairs commentator, peace advocate, and General Manager of Special Duties Blueprint Newspapers Limited. He writes a weekly column and features on a weekly radio talk show (Buffer Zone), all focused on defence and security issues.
He also produces and anchors a weekly TV magazine program for the Nigerian Navy. His core research area is military affairs, particularly military/media relationships.
Ndace’s experience on the war front
In a recent chit-chat with Legit. ng’s regional correspondent, Ndace, revealed that reporting in the war zone differs from regular field reporting.
He said:
“The war front is a different world entirely. The atmosphere and feeling trigger your sense organ to be twice as active as usual.
“My first day at the war front with Lt. Gen. TY Buratai rtd. was tense. It was tense, adventurous and full of anxiety. First, we have to charge through the dangerous Maiduguri-Damaturu road in the night. Then we were welcomed the next morning in Damaturu by a bomb blast by female suicide bombers.
This all happened at an Eid ground. And worst of all, we survived an ambush on our first outing to the operational area on the Damaturu - Buni Yadi road. So we ended up with the real theatrics of life with the exchange of gunshots and the sound of the cannon from the armoured tank. It was crazy.
“And I was told later that even on our way from Maiduguri to Damaturu, there were attempts by Boko Haram to cause collateral damage to our convoy."
Ndace further noted that he is currently working on a documented piece to give a first-hand account of his experience at the war front.
He stated that the battle against insurgency period remains the most profound part of his journalism career.
Ndace said:
“Even though I spent some of my formative years in the barracks, and therefore as a barrack boy or what the Americans call military brat, my embedded experience under General Buratai gave me first-hand contact with combatants in action in real war situations.”
He disclosed that he is working on a trilogy titled “Walking the war front with Lt. Gen. TY Buratai," “Duty Call Under Buratai’s Command,” and “The Lonely Grave,” which is a collection of poems.
His words:
“These books were inspired by many veterans who fought on and off the war field.
“Soldiers who sacrificed their lives to serve our great nation, the courage they showcased and the aftermath of their gruesome experiences.
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“Amongst many soldiers and servicemen, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai occupies a large part of the storytelling.
“Lt. Gen TY Buratai is a retired Nigerian army Lieutenant General, Former chief of Army staff, who was appointed in 2015 and retired in January of 2021.”
When asked if the war against insurgency had been won, Ndace said:
“We all knew where we were in 2015 and where we are now. Since 2015, there has been political will by the political masters and courage and commitment by strategic leaders and commanders.
“Today, no fewer than 83,000 terrorists have surrendered to troops in various locations. Isn’t that a testament that the war has been won? Isn’t the northeast safe again for our boys and girls, old and young and our fathers and mothers tilling the farmlands? The war has been won, and insurgents will never rise again.”
Boko Haram: Journeying through terrorists’ enclave on Gombe-Biu road
Meanwhile, the experience of journeying from Gombe to Borno state is always tortuous as the streets remain rough and bumpy.
Due to the activities of the Boko Haram terrorist on the roads, the trip through the streets was full of tension and fear.
Borno state is a major terrorist-ridden state in northeast Nigeria, where Boko Haram has operated for over a decade.
Source: Legit.ng
