The challenges of insurgency in Nigeria has become so overwhelmingly disturbing that many residents honestly feel that there is nothing the present leadership under President Buhari administration could do about it as they feel he has exhausted all ideas and military intelligence he has to offer.
The constant and menacing news of insurgents’ attacks especially in the northern part of the nation has called for so much uncertainties and despair.
Many persons believe that the intervention of the international community be sort to help eradicate these security issues and mayhem once and for all, while some other citizens recommend a general overhaul and change in all of the spheres of the security officials all over the country.
Meanwhile, there are schools of thought who strongly believe that nothing could be done about the issues of Insurgency because it not just as straightforward as it may seem.
There is the subtle allegation that all of these terrorist attacks are politically sponsored by politicians and some political godfathers and that no matter how hard the security outfits we have fight against these criminal elements it’s going to take quite a very long duration of years for it to be completely eradicated
One of those who share the opinions stated above is the former chief of army staff, Tukur Buratai, who has recently claimed that it may take 20 years to end the insurgency in the north-east.
The ex military officer made these comments when he appeared before the senate committee on foreign affairs on Thursday, 18 February 2021. Wherein he categorically explained the complexities involved in the fighting and winning the war against Insurgency.
Former chief of army staff Evaluated by Legislature
The former army chief was being evaluated by the legislature with regards to his recent nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari as part of his presidential envoy.
Buratai revealed surprisingly that some major issues that had earlier happened in the country’s historical past, which bothered on the political, social and economic crisis, and which were not properly addressed by successive governments have contributed to fanning the flames of the insurgency.
“The situation is that of asymmetric warfare. It is a complex operation. It is something that started more than 30, 40 years ago. They have penetrated communities both in Nigeria, Chad, Niger,” he said.
“Five local governments in Borno state cannot have good access roads since independence till now.
“The same thing in the north-west. There are so many ungovernable spaces and until those locations are penetrated with the right infrastructure and amenities, then we will carry everybody along and education is very fundamental.
“These are the realities, the truth must be told because this cannot end at the dictates of time and may take another 20 years and that is the truth.
“Only the military is seen to solve this thing but it is not. Military cannot solve this action. In the first place, it wasn’t the military that started it.”
Buratai continued by stating that when he assumed office in 2015, the army had no equipment, nothing was available for effectively carrying out his duties and that made it more difficult at that time to address the Insurgents who were ravaging the north region of the federation.
“Today we have invented our own indigenous vehicles to change the narrative,” the former army chief said.
“Most of those areas that were occupied by Boko Haram terrorists have been taken over by our troops. We need more training, manpower and equipment to sustain it.”
Gift Joseph Okpakorese
Staff Writer
