CNS REMARKS AT THE ONE-DAY SUMMIT ON NATIONAL DEFENCE AND SECURITY HELD AT NATIONAL DEFENCE COLLEGE ON 22 MARCH 2021
1. The state of insecurity across the country prompted Mr President and C-in-C to direct the Service Chiefs to take appropriate measures to ensure physical security within the next few weeks for the wellbeing of the citizenry. Accordingly, the AFN has embarked on kinetic operations to deliver security to the nation and its people in the shortest possible time. However, considering that national security is a multi-sectoral endeavour that requires the input and buy-in of diverse stakeholders, the one-day summit became necessary to sensitise the public and promote a potentially useful discourse on a kinetic approach to national security. The theme of the Summit is “Kinetic Operations as a major Plank for the CT/COIN in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Prospects”. The Summit would therefore provide a platform for discourse on a holistic approach towards a comprehensive and lasting solution to the nation’s national security challenge.
2. Notably, the AFN has been involved in kinetic operations to neutralise the activities of insurgents for over a decade now. To date, the kinetic operations have resulted in the liberation of territories previously held by the BHTs however, the insurgents have continued to launch attacks against troops and innocent citizens at will. This development brings to fore the need to reappraise the kinetic operations conducted by the AFN in its CT/COIN efforts to achieve the much-desired result.
3. The summit is therefore a welcome development at a time the country is grappling with myriads of security challenges. Instructively, the summit would help galvanise opinions on the challenges and prospects of ongoing kinetic ops against insurgents, bandits and other violent Non-State Actors (NSA) while giving further insights into the ongoing CT/COIN efforts. The import of the kinetic ops as a major prong towards addressing the various forms of insecurity in the country cannot be overemphasised, nevertheless, it is pertinent to reiterate the need for a whole–of–government approach to tackling these national security challenges.
4. Accordingly, the following are some suggested talking points for CNS during the Summit:
a. Need to re-energise the existing synergy among the Services and active collaboration with other relevant security agencies.
b. Re-awaken and re-energise own troop’s will to fight through courageous leadership and provision of requisite equipment.
c. Naval Base Lake Chad is slated to be relocated to its former location, it is therefore necessary to conduct a coordinated offensive to neutralise insurgent enclaves in the Lake Chad Islands (Tumbuns). These Islands, like the Sambisa forest, serve as fortresses and are potential COG for the insurgents in the Lake Chad area. It is therefore imperative that dislodging the insurgents from these Islands should be a major combined military objective by all components of the MNJTF.
d. The AFN have been conducting kinetic operations aimed at neutralising insurgents from their strongholds. Notably, its own troops have achieved remarkable successes by reclaiming territories previously held and controlled by insurgents. Incidentally, holding liberated territories has been a major challenge that has been responsible for operational setbacks. It would be necessary to have a force that can support the NPF and other paramilitary agencies to hold liberated territories. The force in concert with other paramilitary forces should have the capacity and capability to neutralise activities of bandits who engage in kidnapping for ransom, cattle rustling, small arms trafficking, illegal mining, drug peddlers and smuggling etc.
e. The Super Camp concept is observed to allow the insurgents freedom of movement/action within the theatre. This situation has been exploited by the insurgents to carry out attacks against own troops and civilian populace. Thus, to reverse this trend the NA could consider a hybrid of the Super camp model with conventional deployment format.
f. The need for the kinetic operations to be driven by timely, credible and actionable intelligence from various intelligence cells both locally and abroad. In achieving this, it is imperative to employ advanced intelligence gathering technology.
g. The civil populace would need to be enlightened on the likely incidence of collateral damage arising from kinetic operations. In as much as the AFN would do due diligence to drastically reduce collateral damage, there is the need for stakeholders to brace up for this as it may be inevitable.
h. Military history is replete with cases of civilian populace support to military kinetic operations thus, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) would need to take measures to rally the civil populace in support of ongoing kinetic operations by the AFN.
i. Need to strengthen border patrols to prevent illicit movement of persons, drugs, arms and weapons.
j. Need to fix deplorable main supply routes which often afford terrorists suitable sites for emplacing IEDs and staging ambushes.
k. Identifying and terminating local and international support (logistics and financial supports) to insurgents, bandits, other subversive groups by tracing and blocking all sources and means of funding/financial networks.
l. On the issue of good governance, the government must continue to deliver to the people the dividends of democracy which includes creating job and employment opportunities for the teeming youth population that constitutes about 60 percent of the population.
5. Respectfully forwarded for CNS’ acquaint and consideration, Sir.