Gallantry in the face of odds
As Nigerians and the international community increasingly become weary, disturbed and agitated over the lingering life-frittering insurgency in the north-east of Nigeria, with profuse outpour of blame on the unpreparedness of the Nigerian military institution and State, the gallant contribution of ordinary soldiers in this troubled region must be acknowledged.
These ordinary soldiers, some who have raised voices over their poor motivation, poor equipment, un-sophisticated weaponry, and un-inspiring institutional support lay down their lives on a daily basis in a fight against murderous insurgents who pride in wasting human lives. The Boko Haram explosions on Thursday in Kaduna which killed close to a hundred innocent Nigerians reminds us once again the kind of murderous insurgency these ordinary soldiers are up against.
The courage being exhibited by these soldiers are legendary as the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. – Gen. Kenneth Minimah while on working tour of Lagos state a few days ago, revealed that some army personnel have abandoned the force due to the fear of engaging in battle against the terrorists group.
Of course it takes professionalism, courage and patriotism to fight this unconventional war. An enemy that is amorphous and skilled at asymmetric warfare will initially prove difficult for a military trained for conventional war. Unlike in the past whereby nations stood against one another and fought in a definite war, the war stories in recent times have changed significantly with a major spotlight on terrorism and insurgency in different parts of the world.
Guerilla warfare is one of the most common forms of insurgency that has been experienced by the world all through the centuries. This is a warfare whereby a group of people come together in rebellion to fight against an organized army. One major strategy that is employed by such groups is the surprise attack on the legal army. As these attacks are carried out on the legal army, the guerilla militias keep on moving from one place to another thus, reducing their chances of becoming vulnerable to attacks from the government forces.
Our soldiers are faced with a steep learning curve. They have to adapt to guerilla tactics while on battle ground. They also have to combat aggrieved non-state actors in an expansive area where public goods, security, justice and hope are a rarity.
Since the last general elections in 2011, Boko Haram attacks have escalated and grown more sophisticated, such that it is believed by some people that the movement might have links with international terrorist networks, likely al-Qaeda in the Maghreb. Until the attack on the UN building, Boko Haram had waged its combat locally, mainly targeting amenities and people deemed un-Islamic or complicit with the federal government, such as army barracks, police checkpoints, beer parlours, television viewing centres, brothels, local and federal officials, churches and Christian clergy as well as Moslems, mosques and imams.
These are trying times for Nigeria. The rank and file of the military who are now made to bear the brunt in a country that has long toyed with issues of national security and defence deserve commendation, even as Nigerians are increasingly impatient with the overall handling of the insurgency by the military establishment and the State. Despite inadequate supplies of ammunition, communication equipment and transport vehicles these soldiers have continued to battle the insurgents.
We urge that the valiant living soldier on the field be encouraged and adequately provided for by the Nigerian military establishment and government.
We believe that our soldiers don’t lack courage. What is apparently absent is the appropriate support and provision which they really require to push back and overwhelm the insurgents.