THE Nigerian military and the security agencies would wish to forget 2014 because of the strange, nightmarish experiences they went through. It was a year things became so bad that people wondered aloud if this was the mighty military that fought the civil war, effortlessly put down other insurrections and became the reliable guard of troubled countries in the West African sub-region and beyond. In the past 50 years, our troops have been in high demand internationally and they always returned with accolades.
It was last year that we started hearing of our soldiers running away from fights against terrorists, abandoning their arms for the enemy to capture and deploy against our people, mutinies, court martials and ignominious dismissals. Nigerians could not understand why the abducted Chibok girls were not rescued. We were losing people and places to a sect that become so emboldened that it bombed at will and held communities hostage.
A handout picture from the Nigerian military taken on February 26, 2015 shows troops posing with a flag of Boko Haram after dismantling a Boko Haram camp along Djimitillo Damaturu road, Yobe State in northeastern Nigeria, following fierce fighting that resulted in the capture of machine guns and rifles as well as the death of a number of the insurgents. Boko Haram has vowed to disrupt March 28 elections, which originally were planned for February 28 but rescheduled following security threat. AFP
The Federal Government appears to have discovered the formula for turning the situation around. After initial problems and controversies surrounding procurement of arms, the troops have since started taking delivery of the required calibre of equipment. The change in fortunes became noticeable as 2015 unfolded. Today, the media are brimming with exciting stories of victory after victory, as the military and contingents of the Lake Chad Basin partners (Niger, Chad and Cameroun) descend on the terrorists.
They are being pulverized, and territories they seized liberated. The nation is very upbeat, assured of secured atmosphere to conduct the general elections in all polling booths in the country on 28 March and 11 April.
We are proud of the achievements of our troops and security agencies that are involved in the combats. Last week President Goodluck Jonathan visited them at some locations to commend them, and the National Assembly also commended their victories. The trust and confidence of Nigerians in the capacity of their armed forces to protect them and their country is being gradually restored. The momentum should be sustained with internal security improved to handle the series of bombings that seem to be the insurgents’ response to their losses at the battle fronts.
Governments and Nigerians learn useful lessons from our security challenges of the past five years. It is our country and we are the ones to build it. We must ensure that no cell of terror or insurrection is allowed to fester before we tackle it.
As we anticipate total victory and are set to rebuild our country, we wish the wounded speedy recovery, repose for souls of troops lost in battle and ask the relevant authorities to ensure that affected families receive their entitlements.
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