A security expert, CEO of risk management company PR24, and a fellow of the Nigerian Institute for Industrial Security, Onyekachi Adekoya, says President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has performed well over the past seven years, especially in terms of combating terrorism in the Northeast, claiming that even the toughest critics would acknowledge how well the administration has handled Boko Haram-related issues based on available data.
The security expert who stated that he now sleeps better in Maiduguri than he did in Abuja added that before now, our force posture as a country, had over 40% of our forces holed up in the Northeast, conducting different operations within the theater.
He noted that there has been a lot of improvement on ground as conditions have improved in Yobe, in Adamawa, and life is returning to nomalcy.
Mr Oyekachi said though there are still pocket of issues which can be attributed to some other fortitude incidents within Boko Haram, the fight between Jazz and ISWAP, the introduction of foreign hardened terrorist elements, the taking out of Shekarau and others.
On the most critical factor in achieving the success in the past seven and a half years by the Buhari administration, Mr Adekoya stated that the government tried to ensure that a lot of support got to the fighting forces irrespective of challenges encountered in purchasing and taking delivery of some of these fighting equipment from other countries.
He added that we were shaped in terms of our posture to have been able to exploit the situation presented to us.
According to Mr Adekoya, because the military changed their tactics they were better supplied with a better result.
The president being a retired military person, the military had enough incentive to take the fight, we’re now on the front foot doing fighting patrols, Clarence operations and better coordination between the air force between the air force and the Nigerian army.
Speaking on the rehabilitation and empowerment of some of the Boko Haram terrorists who have been laid down their arms, the security expert said in some of these matters you have to apply a carrot, and stick approach.
“It is said in military strategy that if you push your enemy too much of the wall you leave them a golden gate. Because at the end of the day every conflict will resolve in dialogue”.
Mr Adekoya who said rehabilitation reintegration is also a key part of post conflict management added that the UN is spending a lot of money now in the Northeast on rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
He said ‘there must be an end to some of this madness because you have the war economy, you can’t continue. The war economy is not a sustainable economy. People have to go back to their lives and livelihood. You must allow people access back to their farms’.
Mr Adekoya said these are frank and honest conversations that needs to be had as people have to heal and move forward.
