Terrorism, insurgency national security major threats- NDC Commandant

[caption id="attachment_45088" align="alignright" width="400"] NDC boss, Rear Admiral Samuel Ilesanmi Alade delivering the lecture in UI [/caption] GBENRO ADESINA/IBADAN Members of the University of Ibadan, UI, community were awestruck recently when the Commandant, National Defence College, NDC, Abuja, Rear Admiral Samuel Ilesanmi Alade rolled out statistics of the havoc of terrorists in the world, especially in Nigeria. The event was the annual distinguished public lecture titled, “Terrorism and Insurgency in Nigeria: Strategic Leadership Training in Perspective” organized by the Department of Political Science of the premier university. Alade, in his introduction, disclosed that since the dawn of modern history, states have battled with groups that resort to extreme violence to pursue their political, social, ideological and religious goals, adding that such extreme application of violence has come largely from terrorist and insurgent groups. According to him, this emerging trend has further blurred the traditional distinction often made between terrorism and insurgency. Particularly exemplifying this worrisome trend are the activities of the Al-Shabaab in Somalia, Boko Haram in Nigeria, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ( ISIS ) in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan. “These groups increasingly adopt kidnappings, bombing, assassinations, and gun attacks against civilians and military targets. In 2014 alone, a total of 133,463 terrorist attacks were recorded worldwide, resulting in more than 32,700 deaths and over 34,700 injuries. Additionally, more than 9,400 people were kidnapped or taken hostage. Majority of these attacks took place in Afghanistan, India, Iraq and Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Syria. The threats of insurgency and terrorism have become more complex, with terrorist groups forging alliances and linkages around the world”, he said. Alade disclosed that a worldwide ISIS terrorist group in the Middle East, headed by Abu Bakar al-Baghadi which conducts violent attacks in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria controls assets worth US$2billion, making it the richest terrorist group in the world. “With an estimated fighting force of between 20,000 and 30,000, the group generates fund from looting of banks, imposition of levies and sale of oil or stolen artefacts. Its campaign of terror involves bombings, armed assault, beheading and deliberate destruction of cultural heritage. Its violent attacks have led to the death of citizens, destruction of properties and demolition of cultural heritages in countries like Lebanon, Iraq and Syria. For example, about 24,015 civilians were killed or injured in Iraq in 2014 by ISIS . ISIS has also established footholds in countries such as Egypt and Libya: a dangerous development that complicates the terrorism landscape in Africa”, he added. In Africa, according to him, the Al-Shabaab, a terrorist group that has been operating in Somalia since 2002 emerged as the radical youth wing of the Islamic Court Union (ICU) that took over most of Southern Somalia in 2006, adding that since then, the group has undertaken a violent insurgency using guerrilla warfare and terrorist tactics against targets in Southern and central Somalia. He said, “The group has equally launched transnational attacks in Kenya and Uganda. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the twin suicide bombings in Kampala in Uganda on July 11 2010, Al—Shabaab attacked the West Gate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, resulting in the death of 67 persons and injuring of over 175. A similar attack by the group in April 2015 on Garissa University College in Northeast Kenya resulted in the death of 147 people and 79 injured”. [caption id="attachment_45089" align="alignright" width="400"] From left, Dean, Social Science, Professor Lanre Olutayo, NDC boss, Rear Admiral Samuel Alade, GOC 2DIC Laz Ilo, and HOD, Pol Science[/caption] The army chief pointed out that in Nigeria, insurgency in the oil-rich Niger Delta and Boko Haram terrorism in the northeast have posed a major threat to national security and corporate existence of the Nigerian State adding that insurgency in the Niger Delta region assumed a worrisome dimension beginning from 2006, when militants embarked on multiple bombings of critical oil installations and kidnapping of expatriates. “The incessant attacks resulted in several loss of lives and property and the reduction of Nigeria’s oil production and revenue generation capacity. The implementation of Amnesty programme in 2009 brought relative peace in the region. However, Nigeria continues to battle with the Boko Haram insurgency that started in July 2009. In its quest to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria, the Boko Haram had embarked on series of gun attacks, raiding of communities and bombing of places in a spate of terrorist attacks unprecedented in the history of this nation. The mobilization of security forces by Federal Government against this group has relatively curtailed their activities”, he said. Alade, who made a conceptual clarification between terrorism and insurgency which are too similar in nature and activities, gave a chronicle account of emergence of terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria. According to him, since the 1980s, terrorism has become a key feature of the Nigerian society following the eruption of the Maitatsine uprising in December 1980 that lasted ten days, which official reports claimed that it claimed over 4,177 lives. “Another significant terrorist-related incident was the mystery letter bomb that killed Lagos based journalist, Dele Giwa in 1986. Subsequently, series of bomb explosions occurred in the country. These include the bombing of Ilorin stadium on 30 May 1995, the 1996 bombing of Aminu Kano Airport, and the spate of bombings in Lagos and attempts to bomb Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Kaduna, and fuel depots in the country. Furthermore, a Nigerian Airways airplane A310 was hijacked during the June 12 struggle in October 1993 by the Movement for the Advancement of Democracy ( MAD ) to Niger Republic’s capital city Niamey. The MAD group demanded an end to military rule and the enthronement of democracy. These developments were major pointers that individuals or groups In Nigeria could plan and execute acts of violence designed to intimidate a large audience in pursuit of their religious, political and ideological objectives”, he said. Continuing, “With the return to democratic rule on May 29 1999, the security landscape of the nation took a down turn for the worst. Not only did various militant groups (ethnic, religious and political) emerge, they also waged campaign of violence in pursuit of their objectives. Groups such as the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer (NDPVF), Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafara (MASSOB), Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), and Youth Democratic Movement (YDM), among others displayed the tendency to employ terrorist tactics to resolve conflict in place of dialogue and negotiation. Niger Delta militant groups employed terrorism-associated tactics such as hostage-taking, kidnapping, oil pipeline vandalism, and armed assault on oil workers and security personnel, with serious consequences. For instance, Nigeria lost at least $23.7billion to oil theft, sabotage and production shut-in, while about 1,000 people were killed, and over 300 taken as hostages between January and September 2008. The attack on the Royal Dutch Shell’s Bonga field in June 2008 by MEND militants resulted in the shut-in of about 200,000 bpd”. Alade revealed that the decline in insurgency in the Niger Delta from 2009 due to the government intervention programme of AMNESTY, but the nation recorded an upsurge in terrorism in the Northeast adding that the escalation of violent attacks by groups such as the Jama’atuuAhlissunnahlidda’awatiwal Jihad (aka Boko Haram) and the Jama’atuAnsaruMusilimina Fi Biladis Sudanv (aka Ansaru), epitomizes the most audacious expression of terrorism in Nigeria. “Historically, Boko Haram started as a religious movement in 1995 under the leadership of Abubakar Lawan, who later left Nigeria for studies at the University of Medina in Saudi Arabia. In 2002, the leadership of the group was then transferred to Mohammed Yusuf who abandoned Lawan’s style of conservative teachings for more radical ones. On 26 July 2009, the emboldened Boko Haram sect staged an armed assault in Bauchi where they attacked and destroyed the Dutsen Tanshi Police Station. Their violence eventually spread to Borno, Yobe and Kano States. A combined military and police operation resulted in the killing of many of the sect members and the arrest of others including Mohammed Yusuf who was later killed while in police custody. Subsequently, the group members went underground and later adopted Yusuf’s hard-line top deputy, Abubakah Shekau as their new spiritual leader. Under Shekau’s leadership, the group employed new violent tactics such as targeted assassinations, ambushes, drive-by shootings, abductions, and bombing amongst others”, he explained. Continuing, “In 2014, Boko Haram insurgency became a regional security threat, following the intensification of cross-border attacks against targets in Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Later that year, the group’s posture took the form of full blown insurgency as it started taking control of territories in Nigeria’s Northeast and proclaimed a Caliphate in August 2014. In March 2015, its leader, Abubakah Shekau pledged Boko Haram’s alliance to the ISIS and changed its name to the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP). Attacks by the group have claimed at least 17,000 lives and displaced more than 2.5 million people since 2009. The August 2011 attack on the UN building in Abuja by Boko Haram in which 23 persons were killed is the most visible example of the group’s capability and intent to strike international targets. However, Boko Haram has in recent months encountered a revitalized Armed Forces of Nigeria which, with the backing of regional forces, have retaken the territories previously held by the terrorists and continues to degrade and inflict serious damage on its capacity to mount and sustain any serious future attacks”. He said, “As with the Boko Haram, the emergence of the Ansaru further complicated the terrorism landscape in Nigeria. The Ansaru, which roughly translates as “Vanguards for the Protection of Muslim in Black Africa”, is believed to be a breakaway faction of the Boko Haram. Since its emergence, the Ansaru has claimed responsibility for various acts of terrorism in Nigeria such as the November 2012 armed attack on a detention facility in Abuja; the January 2013 ambushing of Mali-bound Nigerian soldiers at Kogi State, and the February 2013 kidnapping of seven foreign expatriates in Bauchi State. The alleged murder on 9 March 2013 of the seven kidnapped expatriates remains the biggest of its kind since the outbreak of terrorist violence in Northern Nigeria. The resultant climate of insecurity that prevails in Nigeria has raised concerns over the factors that have contributed or facilitated the outbreak of terrorism and insurgency in our country”. The NDC boss highlighted both the remote and immediate causes of terrorism in Nigeria to include: fierce struggle for political power plays major factor. He stressed that the armed gangs used by politicians during electoral contests end up becoming terrorists by the time elections is over and they are discarded and become jobless. [caption id="attachment_45090" align="alignright" width="400"] UIVC, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka addressing his guests, NDC Commandant, Rear Admiral Samuel Ilesanmi Alade and others[/caption] Social factor such as corruption from all ramifications, economic factor such as worsening economic situation as evidenced by high poverty and unemployment rates, weak capacity of the Nigerian state, porous nature of Nigeria’s international border with over 1,499 illegal entry routes and the influence of religious force compounded by globalization which has made it possible for radical religious ideologies to penetrate Nigeria. Alade noted that terrorism and insurgency has very serious negative impact on the nation saying that its impact on the economy is unimaginable adding that apart from N25billion lost daily in the North East as a result of the menace, insecurity in the country has reduced foreign Direct Investment (FDI). “For instance, FDI into Nigeria from the United State of America dropped by 29 percent from about $8.65b in 2009 to about $6.1b in 2010. Economic activities in the entire Northern Nigeria were seriously affected due to the massive migration and relocation of people and financial institutions from the region”, he added. He said that insecurity has undermined the social fabrics of the Nigerian society adding that its social impact is glaring in terms of denial of access to education, health, food and shelter. He noted that Boko Haram insurgents have targeted all aspects of the education sector in the North East, burnt down schools, killed teachers and abducted school children. “For instance, over 250 schools have been destroyed since 2009 as a result of the activities of terrorists in the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. A total of 73 schools were affected in Adamawa, 171 in Borno and 56 in Yobe. Attacks by Boko Haram in Nigeria have also killed more than 600 school teachers mostly in the North East and North Central geo-political zones of the country. In April 2014, about 276 girls were kidnapped by the insurgents from their school in Chhibok, causing a global outcry and highlighting the threat posed to the educational sector by these terrorists. As regards food security, terrorism in the North East disrupted means of livelihood such as farming, cattle raising and fishing. An estimated 19,000 farmers abandoned their farms in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states owing to insurgency. Insurgents increased the population of Nigerians living as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). As at October 2015, there were about 2,233,506 IDPs in Nigeria with 1,606,302 (72 percent) in Borno State, 144,302 (6.5 percent) in Yobe, 133,605 (6 percent) in Adamawa State and the balance of 347,195 (15.50 percent) located in Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba, Nasarawa, Plateau State and FCT Abuja”, he disclosed. [caption id="attachment_45091" align="alignright" width="400"] Cross section of listeners[/caption] On the political front, Alade who noted that terrorism has affected Nigeria’s capacity to project power and threatened her sovereignty and democracy said that on the security front, terrorism has affected Nigeria’s security in the area of increase in the inflow of Small arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) stressing that during the height of the insurgency in the Niger Delta, there was high circulation of SALWs in the region. “Weapons recovered during the disarmament process of the Amnesty initiative in the region in 2009 included 2,760 assorted guns, 287,445 ammunitions of different caliber, 18 gun-boats, 763 dynamite caps and 3,155 magazines. Similarly, several weapons including RPGs, rocket launchers, anti-aircraft missiles, and AK47 rifles have been intercepted by the military in various raids on Boko Haram strongholds in the North East. For example, in October 2015, Nigerian troops killed over 1100 terrorists at Goniri, Yobe State, and recovered one General Purpose Machine Gun, two Rocket Propelled Grenades, nine AK 47 rifles and belted rounds of 7.62 (NATO) ammunition. Boko Haram has been able to smuggle arms into Nigeria using various methods such as the use of specially crafted skin or thatched bags attached to camels, donkeys and cows where arms are concealed and moved across the borders. They sometimes conceal Small Arms and Light Weapons in bags of grains embedded in tyres or cartons of goods which are often loaded on heavy-duty vehicle like trucks, trailers, and lorries”, he revealed. However, Alade disclosed that Nigeria government has responded to the threat of terrorism and insurgency with a combination of political, economic, legal and military strategies stressing that the approach to combat the menace is multi-sectoral involving government, law enforcement, judiciary and civil society organizations. According to him, some of the measures adopted by Nigeria in tackling the menace include but not limited to the promulgation of counter-terrorism legislation, the national counter-terrorism strategy, international collaboration, enhanced border patrol and policing and the use of military power. He noted that the role of strategic leadership in counter terrorism and counter-insurgency in Nigeria require new military management paradigms including appropriate leadership that bespeak cooperation and collaboration, amongst multiple partners adding that the strategic military leaders that would be saddled with the conduct and prosecution of such Complex Military Operation, CMOs, must be adequately trained in an environment conducive for such trainings. He concluded, “The task of denying terrorists and insurgents the space to operate in our country cannot be done by the military alone. Every stakeholder in the Nigerian project, including universities, has critical roles to play in this regard. It requires effective policies that are informed by rigorous and empirical research”. In his speech earlier, the Head, Department of Political Science, Professor O. B.C Nwolise who pointed out that Nigeria has been a victim of terrorism and insurgency stressed the need for the government to dialogue with aggrieved groups in the country whenever needs arises to avoid mistakes of the past that gave birth to the Niger Delta insurgency and Boko Haram terrorism. He called, “There is a need for Nigerians, Africans and the world to show greater concern, care and love over the welfare of the over 2.5million internally displaced persons in the North East. The government should begin now to plan what to do with our citizens who fight Boko Haram as members of civilian JTF alongside with our armed forced so that they do not become separate threats tomorrow. Government needs to fashion out a comprehensive de-radicalization programme now for repentant Boko Haram elements and civilians their ideology has captured. There is greater need for vigilance and intelligence provision on the part of the people. Mass public enlightenment and education are needed to impart security education and mobilize citizens in this direction and a need for the expansion of the orientation and training of our security personnel in the area of spiritual security and spiritual intelligence. GBENRO ADESINA can be reached via: oluwagbemiroadesina@hotmail.com