CNS REMARKS AT THE SPECIAL SUMMIT ON NATIONAL SECURITY HELD AT NIA COMPLEX ABUJA ON 26 MAY 2021
PROTOCOL
1. The spate 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 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, a Special Summit on National Security organised by the House of Representatives became necessary to propose a sustainable strategy for peace and security for the wellbeing of Nigerians. 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 have been involved in kinetic operations to neutralise the activities of insurgents, criminal elements and secessionist groups. To date, the kinetic operations have resulted in the liberation of territories previously held by the insurgents however, the insurgents have continued to launch attacks against troops and innocent citizens at will. Similarly, armed bandits, criminal elements and secessionist groups have free movement to perpetrate their crime. This development brings to fore the need to reappraise the kinetic operations conducted by the AFN 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, armed bandits and other violent Non-State Actors (NSA). 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 troops’ 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, 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 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. The intelligence community should deepen its intelligence operation in the region.
m. The members of the public should discontinue the apparent conspiracy of silence regarding the activities of the group in the region and furnish security forces with credible intelligence on the group.
n. The security forces should be provided with requisite logistics support namely vehicles, drones, communication equipment and PPE.
p. FGN should issue a stern pronouncement regarding attacks and killing of members of security forces.
q. Close circuit cameras should be incorporated into the security architecture of critical national infrastructures.
r. 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 constitute about 60 percent of the population.