From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigeria military has received accolades for their involvement in internal security operations which has saved the country from disasters.
Dr Nasir Alkali , a security expert and an Associate Professor at the Kwararafa University in Wukari, Taraba state, stated that the operations of the Armed Forces are notable and responsible for the gains in addressing issues such as kidnapping, separatist agitations and other security challenges.
Alkali who spoke to Journalists at the weekend in Abuja also said the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has displayed a grasp of issues concerning tackling the security issues in the country.
“I have watched the Armed Forces’ renewed efforts in handling the country’s security issues closely. We have observed that the Armed Forces have recently engaged in joint operations, which has yielded tangible results.”
“This is unlike in times past when leadership was missing in the Armed Forces operations. This affected the operational effectiveness of the security agencies in tackling the security threats in the country.”
Dr Alkali cited the example of banditry and how the security agencies missed the opportunity in the past to nip the threat in the bud due to a lack of collaboration.
“The issue of banditry ought to have been dealt with long ago. But again, we are aware of the situation where the security agencies acted in insolation with no collaboration . Its operations were politicized, allowing the bandits to advance and gather momentum.”
“I recall that I made mention of the need for collaboration between the Armed Forces and that the Chief of Defence Staff as the head of the Armed Forces is expected to drive this initiative towards achieving results. That didn’t happen in the previous era. However, I am glad that General Irabor took the initiative by rejigging the Armed Forces operations with an emphasis on collaboration. This is indeed the game changer.” He said.
He also stated that recent events regarding how the Armed Forces operations have been coordinated and the various security threats in the country would soon be a thing of the past.
