Cameroon and Nigeria: inextricably linked NEXTDOOR neighbours
MAROUA, 16 April 2014 (IRIN)
Nigeria’s extremist Islamist group Boko Haram are believed to be actively recruiting fighters across the border in Cameroon’s Far North
Region, according to residents and local government officials.
More than 100 suspected Boko Haram fighters and preachers (the latter presumed to have links with the group),have been arrested in Far North Region since 2012, but many have been released due to lack of evidence, according to a local security official.
“There are many Muslim brothers coming from Nigeria with the aim of preaching to the youths. The government has warned against this practice,but they still reach out to the young people because they make them promises and give them money,” said Ibrahim Haman, an Islamic preacher and elder in Mora District in the Far North.
Residents of Mayo-Sava area in Far North Region say that unidentified preachers are secretly reaching out to youths in their locality. Haman pointed out that some youths have managed to escape the sect after being recruited, but many others have not returned.
“Boko Haram is considered here as just another religious group, and it is not difficult to be a member if you want to. Young people from here have been induced into joining Boko Haram,” he said.
Military training
Seventeen-year-old Mustapha* recounted to IRIN how he was brought back home to Cameroon blindfolded after failing to cope with the insurgents’ military training. He had been taken to Nigeria by a preacher.
“I was the youngest among eight other boys who told me they came from the towns of Banki, Kolofata and Ngeshawa[in Cameroon] and Maiduguri [in Nigeria]. Before I was taken,they told my father that I would come back rich and a great Muslim, so he allowed me to go. We were reading the Koran and they would preach to us about fighting for the Muslim faith,” said Mustapha.
“I went for my second military training in the mountains, but suffered many injuries and I was bedridden for one month,” he said, explaining that he was brought back as his injuries ruled him unfit for combat.
A government official in Mora District, however, said that it is difficult to ascertain that Boko Haram is recruiting from Cameroonian border villages. There are similar ethnic communities in Cameroon’s Far North and northeastern Nigeria who have family on either side of the border, speak the same language and share a common culture, making undetected cross-border movement easy.
“We don’t really have enough evidence to say clearly that Boko Haram recruits Cameroonians, but what is clear is that those fighting with them are from the border regions and can claim the nationality of either country whenever it suits them,” said the official on condition of anonymity.
But a Mora resident who gave his name only as Daibu said that his brother disappeared in 2012 soon after joining a local Koranic school.“He just left and never came back. We heard from people that he had joined Boko Haram.”
Widening threat
The threat of Boko Haram is widespread in Cameroonian villages bordering northeastern Nigeria. A Nigerian military offensive launched in May 2013 pushed back the Islamists from major towns in the country’s northeast to remote areas. But attacks by the insurgents have since become more deadly and frequent.
There are suspicions that Boko Haram is also recruiting from neighbouring Niger. Some observers have also linked the group with Islamist insurgents who seized Mali’s north after the March 2012 overthrow of the government in Bamako.
Insecurity in Cameroon’s Far North
Region caused by Boko Haram has crippled trade between the region and northeastern Nigeria. Yaoundé
authorities have bolstered security, but infiltration and kidnappings by gunmen suspected to be linked to the radical Islamists have not stopped.
In the third kidnapping of foreigners here since early 2013, suspected Boko Haram fighters earlier this month seized two Italian priests and a Canadian nun.
“Boko Haram had sent a letter to villages with warnings that all beer parlours should stop the sale of alcohol in Mora,Banki and other localities along the border. We can’t identify them but we just know that they are among us or have informants here,” said Mercel Kenfor, a trader in Mora.
The Mora government official told IRIN:“Boko Haram has often sent warnings to the communities. We have issued a curfew from 6pm to 6am that covers all communities in Mora District. We also forbid motorbike traffic at night because we discovered that Boko Haram use
motorbikes to commit crimes.”
There are military patrols as well, said the official, “but the military needs to be given the right weapons and capacity to fight Boko Haram that has [more lethal] weapons like rocket launchers and grenades.”
“We strongly believe that Boko Haram has elements in Cameroon and the authorities are doing everything possible to track them down. The manoeuvres they make in Cameroon territory is
evidence that these groups have a good mastery of the terrain and the armed men could include local Cameroonians and those from neighbouring countries,” said Emmanuel Bob-Iga, head of the
police division at the Far North
governor’s office.
Military commander Beaufils Mana said Boko Haram incursions are being abetted by some local residents. “It is obvious that Boko Haram uses some Cameroonians. This is because an intruder cannot enter your territory when he has no idea of the area. Boko Haram must be colluding with Cameroonians to be able to move around easily.”
*Not a real name
Beegeagle's Blog 
http://www.soufangroup.com/tsg-intelbrief-boko-harams-local-foreign-fighters/
MILITARY WANT 3 GOVERNORS SUSPENDING; NORTHEAST POLITICIANS BELIEVED TO BE SABOTAGING ‘WAR EFFORT’
http://www.leadership.ng/news/366978/emergency-military-wants-3-govs-suspended
COLONEL KABIRU SALISU: 91 DAYS WITH BOKO HARAM…KILLED IN AMBUSH ON APC
http://www.ngex.com/news/public/article.php?ArticleID=2596#
I have said this severally- it makes no sense(absolutely none) to continue allocating funds for bore holes ,school renovation when people are been bombed,kidnapped and maltreated everyday ! Its is an anomaly that government money end up with people who are openly not in concert with COIN operation ( You now com back to tell us they are saboteurs),It is senseless that Media power remains with people not in support of operations. The basic secret to Victory in every war is a clear definition of the adversary and absolute denial of your adversary to everything that keeps him going-Government fund, media sympathy et. all. With total state of emergency, all state resources will be available for prosecution of the war on terror, media houses will be under government control,information flow will be supervised and Socio-Politico-Militaristic synergy can develop. We cannot win this except we understand the key to winning is creating an unfair advantage over terrorist. I also expect that the states (appointed administrators) would at least donate radio based alert system (with CCTV-if possible )to each community and buy SWAT vans,APC to the tune of N750m per month for the police.
The NE governors may be taken out of the equation this week. (Full blown state of emergency with suspension of democratic rule.).
We would then be where we should have started, appointed administrators (civil or military) in the states providing a more synchronised set of actions (civil and military) to clear out the insurgents and win back whatever little support and intimidatory gains they have made so far.The administrators have to be chosen carefully, if corruption and political gains distract them then we just might as well hand over to Bolo Haram.
Suggest civilian administrators with backgrounds in hard core security or intelligence work. The NA should do a dense deployment of troops at Sambisa, Mandara or wherever else the BH has chosen as their strongholds (at least 20,000) troops in those sectors alone.
I don’t think the autor of “91 days with boko haram” knows what “firepower” means and I don’t think ha understands what an APC is. I think some readers should remind him that APCs are not fire-proof. They are not iron-man’s armor. So an APC catching fire doesn’t mean it didn’t function well. What he should rather be arguing for is more efficient, more resistant APCs, newer equipment and we should equip ourselves to western standards.
Oga Igbi, the narrator of colonel Kabiru’s story is right in a sense.
APCs : Exist to enable Infantry to keep up with the armored Tanks.
They only provide protection against INDIRECT ARTILLERY FIRE.
APCs are actually very vulnerable against many man potable systems on the battle field.
But you are right, it is for the military to do their due diligence, and provide their vehicles with the needed upgrade.
We saw this play out in the Iraq invasion.
We saw as the americans made a transition from the Humvee to soldier wielded on armor, to factory up armored Humvees to M-113s with cage armor to Strykers with Cage armor to south African based OSHKOSH designed MRAPs.
All to protect troops against the shaped charge of an RPG, and complex IEDs.
While this is expensive, all mechanized armies have to go thru this transition, as RPGs are now as cheap and plentiful on the battlefield as AK-47s.
Oga Beeg, regarding the foregoing and all the popular comments about old APCs from the days of Shagari, what do you think?
i believe our equipment can be updated, but i believe the comments about APCs from the early eighties are probably exaggerated. I would have thought the most ubiquitous APC in our OrBAT is the Otokar Cobra, which is fairly up to date (even though there might be questions about its suitability for the levels of combat intensity it is currently experiencing).
Abi wetin you feel?
Our spy network needs to be everywhere in the surrounding countries especially Cameroon.
True TALK.
This fear is also growing in Niger Republic
What Kind of Nonsense is this coming from the NA ??
You want 3 elected governors suspended ??
How about telling the CIC that his leadership has not demonstrated the requisite urgency to defeat the menace of BH.
So therefore, you demand his resignation.
Oga generals, una don enter treasonous terrain O.
I have advocated that NA be ASSERTIVE within the bounds of the constitution. If MoD is corrupt, say it. If the CIC thru madam Okonjo is shortchanging vital military spending, say it.
Speak your mind, where the constitution allows you to do so.
But NAF boss, after NAF boss, have lied to Nigerians, saying they have the wherewithal to protect Nigerian skies, when we all know that is far from the case.
Our CIC, just said that he fired the chiefs that were always asking for more money, instead of innovating.
Well lets see the NAF innovate their way out of the necessity of airpower to contain BH.
So, in conclusion, Generals, it is best you speak the truth to power, and then fall on your swords, than let yourselves get frustrated, and start to over reach with requests of the resignations of elected officials.
President Goodluck did not elect these governors, therefore, he cannot remove them.
Oga Doziex, please include the article that quoted generals asking for the suspension of the governors.
Oga Asorockweb, are you blind to the other articles and opinions posted on this thread ?
Or are you just trying to make me the issue.
However, you want it , bring it on.
I did read the other comments, and I read an article about the possibility of a “full” state of emergency.
However, based on your strong comments, I assumed you must have read something that quoted generals asking for the suspension of the North-East governors.
So, it seems you didn’t?
Oga Asorockweb,
Oga beegeagle posted an article from the Leadership magazine.
And the author of the article is revealing the opinions of the military brass involved, based on his unimpeachable sources.
So are you setting an impossible standard on this blog, that all articles by vetted for 100% authenticity, before one is allowed to opine ?
Or are you just angry that I have strong opinions ?
Oga Doziex,
I am not trying to silence you – I thought you had more info.
You started with:
“What Kind of Nonsense is this coming from the NA ??”
And I couldn’t relate that to anything I have read.
Opine to your heart’s content
The issue is simple.
Don’t make baseless allegations. If the NA didn’t say that Governors should be suspended, don’t allege that they did.
Most of us are here to contribute our knowledge and ideas.
We hope that decision makers read what we write and in that way, we hope to broaden their options and hopefully, help them create better outcomes.
Don’t imagine you can bully the NA to see things your way. Most of the people you look down on may be better than you.
So now I am bullying the mighty NA . Negroe please.
Can somebody please copy and paste the entire Leadership paper article by Adebayo Waheed for Oga asorockweb to read, since he is apparently too lazy to click on the link himself.
If you bothered reading the article, rather than attacking me, any beegeagle’s blogger should be able to tell that this is an alarming development warranting discussion.
I laid my opinions bare, but you chose me to be the more important topic.
You could have agreed or disagreed with my POV, but you showed the magnitude of your intellect by coming out of left field.
According to 1st hand information from the articles author, Opinions at the highest levels of the military are in favor of the suspension of difficult to deal with, but elected civilian officials.
This is the bomb shell we need your opinion on, not what ever foolish yabs your small mind can construct about an individual.
I don’t know you, but I have labeled you a light weight thinker, cause you never seem to be able to debate ideas, you stay yapping about individuals, which is of no importance on a blog like this. Opinions on events and ideas matter, individualized banter doesn’t.
But since only Oga Augustine is chiming in, I am going to have to go there with you today.
The NA is telling the Truth, just yesterday BBC interview Niger republic citizen been recruited and given 500,000 to come and fight for B.H where are they getting money to sustain this campaign if not from the state money. let the political class sit at home for just 6 month I will assure you they won’t be anybody to fight this senseles battle.ask your self what will insurgents want from unwilling teenage girls if not sex,where will they camp them in a forest? Or neighboring republic?
Oga mayor, let’s remove them legally, and with evidence.
When the turn comes to your state, are you going to support the federal govt. throwing out your elected state officials ?
We are opening a can of worms with this issue of dismissing elected officials extra judiciously.
These 3 elected governors are not above the law either.
So, if they are indeed aiding and abetting BH, the SSS should document it,
with this evidence, they would be impeached.
But point out the flaws and the excesses of NA is the right of Nigerian citizens.
This is criticism the NA must ABIDE.
Learn from, if there is any merit. Rebut, if they are total lies.
I meant to say, But pointing out the flaws and the excess……
A Public Affairs Analyst, Dr. Adetokunbo Adedeji, believes that Nigeria needs to go back to examine how Boko Haram started for it to end the insurgency ravaging the country.
“When we get to the point of properly examining the issues behind their acts then we can solve the problems”, he said.
Speaking on Channels Television, he said that Boko Haram have behind them people who are being cynical about their fight against western education.
While warning that there were a lot to worry about in the Southern part of Nigeria despite having not felt the attacks yet, he noted that “It is war and we need to find out why they are waging war against the society.
He referred to the abduction of girls in a government secondary school in Borno State as a failure of the security network in Nigeria, adding that all major security organisations in the rest of the world have proper intelligence gathering.
The failure of intelligence gathering that would enhance a prediction of what could happen, he said, has led to the attacks on the soft targets.
He also emphasized the act of monitoring the entry of foreigners into the country which was lacking in the country as another major failure in comparison to countries like Egypt where this is taken seriously.
While admitting that the security agencies in Nigeria had done well enough to be commended, he insisted that they could do more.
The Safety Expert also berated Nigerians for being passive in their attitude to security, stating that it was important for Nigerians to be more conscious of their environment.
Going down memory lane, Dr. Adedeji recalled that during the Nigerian Civil War, there was a general mental alertness in the southwest that there was a war. He expects that this would be the kind of alertness that exists among all Nigerians irrespective of the region they live in.
“Don’t sit on the fence, join the Civil Defence” was the slogan that became popular in the media during the war and it still lingered in his mind.
He insisted that Government at all levels must get involved in getting people aware of the situation in the country and create a state of consciousness and readiness to fight the war together.
“In the beginning there was a soft sell – Christian, Muslim, now it is clear that that’s not the issue. It hasn’t gotten any religious connotation even from the beginning. They sold us a decoy and a lot of us fell for it.
“Now it’s becoming clearer that they have some deeper meaning to what they are trying to do”, he said, with the submission that they were “protesting against their leadership.”
According to him: “The reason for that is that up until this moment, the societies that you have up North, there are people who have lived with a sense of deprivation which has not gone away, to the extent that people over there are limited. The opportunity for people to self-actualize is completely hard and unreachable for a number of people.”
“There are unspoken questions that Boko Haram is asking – ‘why have you neglected us for this long? You told us don’t get western education, your children got western education, those children are far removed from us now, and they are not even doing what you used to do’.
“What the fathers of all the young northern leaders used to do was provide food – lunch, breakfast, dinner – for all these people in their neighbourhood, but their children are far removed from the practices that their fathers used to give in the society.”
On the view that Boko Haram was political, Dr. Adedeji agreed that this was a valid view but Nigerians must be careful not to limit it to party politics, as there was politics of human beings, politics of population, politics of poverty, and politics could be played with people’s minds based on the power an individual has on them, with poverty having become a powerful tool for this over the years.
He summed up his perceived mindset of the Boko Haram sect in one statement: “We are completely fed up of this kind of leadership that we have gotten for years and years. You deceived us that western education is not good but you all got western education and you’re ruling us because of that.”
He said, “That’s the cynicism and people need to catch up with that to be able to appreciate how deep-rooted this thing is.”
He insisted that the easy recruits for Boko Haram has been those class of Nigerians who have been impoverished over the years, who are tired of the situation and are willing to fight by any means, the deprivations they have experienced.
Dr. Adedeji posited that until the leaders admit that indeed truly some things have happened in the past that have kept some people deprived, it would be hard to deal with the situation.
Spot On !
Nigerians have a passive attitude about security.
The ppl behind B.H are well educated possibly Harvard trained don’t let that surprised you and they know they can’t defeat the Nigerian Armed forces ,so what are they doing embrass them,Make them look incompetent, go after what they can defend like schools children women the funds are provided by various state government unknowingly this insurgency rely simply on easy money been available remove the money B.H won’t be effective no more
Mean what they can’t defend
Oga mayor, the sponsors of BH may be playing games to embarrass the govt of President GEJ, But Shekau and his immediate circle, are Jihadists with a different agenda of their own.
They believe that if Allah can defeat the soviets on behalf of the afghani mujahideen, then who is NA ?
doziex says:
April 22, 2014 at 10:33 pm
Oga Asorockweb,
Oga beegeagle posted an article from the Leadership magazine.
And the author of the article is revealing the opinions of the military brass involved, based on his unimpeachable sources.
So are you setting an impossible standard on this blog, that all articles by vetted for 100% authenticity, before one is allowed to opine ?
Or are you just angry that I have strong opinions ?
See, I have had this type of encounters with the @Asorockweb guy several times, my conclusion is that he himself should be made to declare whether he is a Nigerian patriot or the opposite.
It seems like critics are being held to a standard, similar to what they ask of others, and they can’t live up to their own standards.
Omo you are making absolutely no sense.
Sometimes, it’s good to be quiet and assumed to be stupid, than to open your mouth and remove all doubts.
You should listen to your own advice
Hehe he BoBs, Don’t come for me, unless I send for you.
You know what I mean ? I eat simpletons like you for breakfast.
So pick on some else and waste their time or better yet go blog elsewhere.
Oga Augustine I bow O.
I wonder what is eating the man today ?
It is said that great minds discuss Ideas, Whereas, small minds discus individuals.
Of all the Ideas I opined on, Oga Asorockweb found nothing but me to opine on.
Unfortunately, people like him only serve as a distraction to vigorous debate.
I have been making this point for a while now, NA needs to rediscover it’s voice and speak up.
NA as an institution is getting blamed by association for too many things they may have no control over.
But if that is the case, they must rediscover their voice, and be more assertive.
Being Assertive IS NOT ANTI DEMOCRATIC.
Criticism of the administration may not get you a promotion, but it is within the rule of law.
BUT if NA stays MUM, out of respect for the civilian bosses, and gets blamed for all the set backs there in, FRUSTRATION SETS IN.
AND tomorrow, this frustration may lead to an OVER REACTION.
TELLING ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL TO STEP DOWN IS AN OVER REACTION.
IT IS A NEGATION OF THE PEOPLE’S WILL. AND IS THE NEXT STEP FROM A COUP.
I don’t think we have time for philosophy, the governors are directly or indirectly helping the slaughter of the citizens, we are at war, traitors should be acted upon.
Oga Igbi, nah true talk, but why not let the SSS build a dossier on these rogue governors, and arrest them.
It is far better that putting NA in the position of having to ask for their dismissal or suspension.
Any illegal removal of an elected official in Nigeria for whatever reason, is too much of a risk to our fragile democratic institutions.
We should 1st exhaust other ways of arriving at the same result, before we start throwing folks out of elected office.
SMH.
One can see how the military can easily become a tool for one political party against the next.
With generals preoccupied with the irresponsible utterances of governors.
NA should pull back, and be wary of both parties.
But where evidence of BH collaboration exists, follow it ruthlessly to it’s logical conclusion.
National Interest provides the very foundation. For upholding the values of National Security. National Security comes above any individual when the situation determines. Gen Sisi of Egypt took sensitive decisions against a sitting president for the sake of National Security. General Founsaka of Sri Lanka did the needful against all odds for the sake of National security. Many many examples all around the world to mention. Coming back home we hear a different story. The military have long being battling insurgents in North Eastern Nigeria. A place where the least work of a governor is to provide human security. Human security is not the absence of civil conflict alone but the provision of basic education, healthcare, amenities and all. Boko haram is a manifestation from the failures of politicians and to that extent, the President declared a state of emergency. I dont need ear aids to knw how far politicians have bastardise their own military fighting hard to save their territory. A place they claim ignorance of not knwing the massive recruitment of terrorist. Politicians said 2000 people died in baga, hundreds being killed by the military, military raping girls, military is less equiped, military is unprofessional, military stealing, miliary lies, military bombing a serving senator and all of that. How much have you seen them attacking BH (IN WORDS AND WRITING) when those devils have murdered people babarically. A war has many weapon my friend, damaging the morale of the army and forcing the people to hate the army is the very fuel BH needs if you dont knw (IT IS CALLED SUBVERSION). The military has the right to request for the immediate removal or seek warrant of arrest of anybody, anytime anyday for the sake of National security. It only takes a true mind to understand that the time is ripe for actions. As for my friend, i dont knw what you will call the group of elites who have damaged the image of the army, disregard the president, undermine the government and its approaches and even threaten to join Cameroun. It may not be a coup but certainly it has a term NO serious govt would entertain in his country. I have total support for the miltary. Pls do whatever it takes to save our dear nation.
Gbagaun…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oya now, when we come for una governors, make una no cry O !!
If mend cause any wahala again, sack all south-south governors.
If OPC or Area boys make any noise, sack gov. Fashola, Gov. Mimiko and the others.
if Bakassi boys or what’s the name of that new Biafra group, if they say one word, sack all the south eastern governors.
If this cattle rustler issue becomes too much of a headache, sack all the middle belt governors.
As a matter of fact, if the occupants of Aso rock chop too much money, una go just sack dem too.
I know you guys don’t want any lectures of the primacy of the electorate in a democracy, a struggling one at that.
I am all for having tough leadership. But this regime must be equally tough on all.
There must be a Dictatorship of the Law.
Oga G8T…thank you for this piece…I believe Doziex is reasoning out of the facts on ground. You cant be talking democracy when you are at war…ask the Liberians or Sierra Leon ans
BH recruitment in Niger (video)
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27107375
Suspend the governors or let them be under the military authority and surveillance.
The 3 governors should go and some savvy civil intelligence/security mandarins from the intelligence community should take over. I would warn against the appointment of military officers into the roles of state administrators though, they would steal and plunder themselves into defeat by a much weaker miltary opponent and probably alienate the public while they are at it exacerbating the problem further.
What we have carefully kept from making comnents about on this blog (and commendably so) is to what extent the our military has failed the CIC and has failed Nigeria. Rewarding them with administrative control of a section of the country now would prolong the problem and further destroy the institution the same way their past foray into political leadership did all the damage to their level of professionalism.
So what you mean in essence is that the president is performing mervelously and the civilians are role models and absolutely not corrupt, but on the other hand the military is corrupt ! I do not want to insult you so please never ever respond to my comments again.
Saying that you are wrong is an understatement, and the fact that you would confuse a full state of emergency with a military coup produced by ambitious thieves and the fact that you would confuse the entire military with the likes of IBB and Sani abacha is breath taking. And calling the suspension on the governors a reward for the military shows how clueless you are. You don’t seem to understand the world around you. stop embarrassing yourself.
let me guess: you are a bigot from the tribe of the president.
True speak Oga Are! No backdoor for a military re entry into politics is needed, but some tough words and actions from the political leadership. Fight the main battle of this war, which is the poverty in the North and BH will die a natural death, sped up of course by the activities of a rejuvenated Nigerian military.
Doing this will require a truly NIGERIAN (no IMF interference) Marshall Plan, one built around rapidly providing an fair and sustainable standard of living to at least 75% of the population in the North (winning hearts and minds) in order to quicken the halt of hostilities. Long term, this plan should be rolled out nationwide in a very precise manner without our traditional ills of corruption and nepotism. History has a very cruel way of judging leaders, so Abuja the ball is in your court. We know you are trying, but more can be done. Nigeria is greater than this present level if we can see ourselves for what/whom we are!
a*
pls any news about our P18N,we are about enterin d second month in second quater
Out of topic, but please allow me to post this:
@Igbi
I am from the Southwest and have never voted for the ruling party not even when a SW ruling party President was in power, I belong to what you might call the SW, vocal, middle class demographic.
So haven gotten that out of the way, let me rate the performance of key institutions dramatis personae in this mediocre effort we call a COIN war.
1. Nigeria’s highest political leadership – F9
zero charisma, unexposed, provincial, drab, lacking in patriotic fervour and passion, not tuned in to excellence, entitlement mentality, attempting to appropriate sympathy that should be going to terror victims nationwide, out of tether and completely at wits ends.
2. Nigeria’s top most military commanders C-of-Staff – F9
very poor leadership performance, poor record of value for money to Nigeria in weapon acquisitions, corruption ridden, corruption related mediocrity, reports of open quarrels in front of CIC, open insubordination to constituted authority, bringing their institutions into deep disrepute, no sense of history, constantly hankering for individual political appointments after their service.
3. Nigerian Army – D.
tradition of excellence in international engagements not being replicated locally, poor deployment of technology and modern weapons, skills being lost rapidly due to corruption and the possible promotion of some officers above their level of competence, unchallenged reports of diversion of war vehicles to personal uses, 10% of the force in AOR probably sympathetic to the enemy another 5% may be active supporters of enemy.
4. Nigerian Air force – C
skilled innovative pilots, engineers and scientists, sound mi-rank officers probably operating under poor leadership until recently, poor record of platform acquisition, slow operationalization of acquired equipment, understaffed and possibly undertrained.
5. SSS – C
rapidly losing intellectual depth due to staff attrition and political interference, poor deployment of technology, some passive BH sympathisers, need to rebuild core of modern elint and humint professionals.
6. NIA – F9
complete disappointment, has traditionally been staffed by diplomats ignorant of actual intelligence spycraft, poor penetration of the west African region, operationally they operate more like the us state department intelligence service hence not edgy enough to deliver value, glorified memo writers.
BRAVO !! BRAVO !!! my man.
This is what you call a sober analyses.
This has to take place, even though we detest it.
Then having acknowledged the depths of our failings, we CAN and WILL begin to regain our lost glory, or realize our unmet potential.
You forgot to grade the Police, the Media, and most importantly, Nigerians – it’s terror war after all.
look at the teenage boys ,muscle for hire for BH. They are common gang members across the border.
With the slightest investigation, the BBC reporter discovered all this.
NIA should have such strategic depth in our neighbors, that they would have recruited or subverted these boys for their purpose.
The poor nigerien border police say they are supposed to jointly patrol that border with the Nigerians, but they have not shown up yet.
Any where one looks expecting to see our national power on display, it’s non existent.
Perhaps eaten away by corruption.
Tell us about it!!!
What could be easier than that, Nigerian intelligence cells, deep cover, active in the border towns of neighbouring countries. Watching, tracking and reporting. These boys would swing our way with the right incentives.
Possible we already have people on ground though, if so their effectiveness is yet to be felt.
That is the piss-poor reportage without a toehold in reality which we continue to raise objections to. A little research on the part of our defence correspondents should suffice sometimes. Alas..
Anyway, the MOWAG APCs, the tracked Spartan APCs (known as the Stormer APC in UK service)and wheeled Panhard M3 APCs of the Shagari era and the Steyr tracked APCs which began to be inducted long after Shagari’s ouster around 1985, DO NOT feature significantly in the COIN operations.
The mainstay COIN assets are the Panhard VBL M11 (delivered in the 1990s) and the Otokar Cobra APCs. Between 2003 and 2008, Nigeria took delivery of the following wheeled and tracked APCs..most of which were brand new assets while the rest were factory-refurbished and upgraded with contemporary systems before being exported to Nigeria.
BRAND NEW
204 units of Otokar Cobra APCs
47 units of BTR-3 IFVs/APCs
REFURBISHED+MODERNISED
67 units of tracked MT-LB APCs
18 units of BTR-70 wheeled APCs
ON SHAGARI-ERA ACQUISITIONS
http://www.beegeagle.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/military-hardware-procurment-the-shagari-legacy/
Guys, i was in the country recently and i was oppurtuned to visit several Lebanese companies in Sagamu, Kaduna and P.H. I was so bewildered to discover that a squad (section) of NA soldiers are at these various factories on guard duty!!!! guarding these lebanese, their assets, wifes and even escorting drivers to pick up hookers for these Kora’s. In this perilious time of ours where we need our soldiers tackling the various insecurities or paticipating in one traning exercise or another, they are maiguards.
Unbelievable
^^^
Oga, believe am sir. One was even shown in a pix guarding musician Davido. If you go to Niger Delta region, you will see how terribly soldiering has been abused. They are there in thick armour running errands for Italian and Lebanese expatriates. You begin to wonder why can’t such jobs can’t be left to private guards and police.
The biggest failure in this war is the failure of the police. They have never succeeded in any peace enforcement duty in past 10 years. Ordinary heardsmen, dem no fit curtail. Communual crises, dem no fit stop. Na to dey block road dey harass unarmed civilians with MOPOL uniform dem sabi.
We are a joke in this country.
*My ever respect to the gallant police officer, Abba Kyari, of SARS Lagos. Never met him, but he is the brain behind most of high profile anti-crime successes in Zone 2. He might not be a saint either, but God bless him for his works. He’s a star in deep darkness of NPF*
The solution for the police is simple.
University graduates at all ranks and an immediate review of salaries upwards by 400%.
This move also reduces graduate unemployment. Extensive training and indoctrination, dedicated and secure police communications accessible from squad vehicles at street corners and foot bound patrols, extensive crime databases, forensic laboratories, psychological profiling experts etc. an immediate re introduction of the Special Branch for organized criminal and first line political intelligence. After three years you would not need EFCC, ICPC, NDLEA and other duplicatory entities.
All current NPF ratings not meeting the new NPF educational / aptitude requirements (the wetin you carry squad) get re-indoctrinated and absorbed into a second tier of policing called the Local Government Police (LGP) available at all LGAs nationwide (please don’t call them community police). The LG police would be financed by taxes to be collected by LGAs (you would be surprised how many illegal but hidden taxes we already pay to this tier of government that is doing nothing) also supplemented by statutory allocations from the center. Recall that all current statutory LG allocations from the FG are currently mostly stolen at the state capitals by the ruling political parties in the states.
The existing Mobile Police Units should be revamped and built into a full fledged modern paramilitary law enforcement force (Nigerian Paramilitary Police Force) dedicated to first line reaction to armed robbery, insurgencies, organized crime and suppression of ethnic militias.
The Paras would not bother themselves with investigations but would be the inter state strong arm back ups to the NPF and LG Police. It is the Paras that should be controlling the assets belonging to NPF aviation arm. The security process architecture should allow protocols and seamless communications between the crime bursting arm and the paramilitary arms of the force. Recall that the quality of training and equipment of the NPF Mobile Force was so good in the 1980s, the then CGS Idiagbon on a surprise visit reportedly immediately ordered the confiscation of some of all their equipment and weaponry by military formations to prevent unhealthy rivalry.
If these reforms are made immediately via constitutional amendments and statutory revenue reallocations we will have at least 3 million men engaged in crime prevention and crime fighting activities all over the country, these men will have job security, love of profession and stable / solid career paths and we don’t have to break the bank to do that.
The Value Case
Currently we have in my estimation 15million young Nigerians engaged in insurgencies, ethnic militias, economic sabotage, criminal gangs and cults. This is costing the Nigerian state multiples of what the proposed police reforms above would achieve but the reforms would steal from their number in terms of manpower.
The above proposal would also engage many of the currently unemployed university graduates and deny these groups their services which would hitherto have been one of the most dangerous things that could happen to a country – having young creative people involved in crime is a scourge, you can go ask the South Americans The BH problem is currently persisting and knotty only because of the hidden core of a few scores of first class university graduates from the north doing the strategizing and operational planning at a level that is most dangerous and see what damage they have done to the country.
*crime bursting and paramilitary arms of the NPF*
Our press could also investigate this illegal usage of public property.
Please find out which military brass, and which politicians AUTHORISE this ILLEGAL use of our armed forces.
Some connected buffoon that has no respect for NA, is paying some top general, to make these NA soldiers available for ILLEGAL detail work.
A case can be made for foreign investment to be protected by NA in the name of national security.
But no case can be made for NA troops baby siting wives and running errands for no damn expatriates or politicians.
Oga Doziex, I no wan talk for this matter as you don talk everything finish.
I tire for Nigerians