… Proposes formation of national guard as a standby force to combat terrorism
Welcoming the news that more than 100 suspected bandits have been neutralised during an air raid by operatives of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) in Kuka Shidda Camp, Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, a call by Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has tasked the Defence ministry to give a timeline within which the war on terror should be over so millions of displaced citizens return to their daily lives.
HURIWA said: “We urge president Tinubu through the ministry of Defence to determine an agreed timeline to end the war on terror so the military is programmed to work with it and achieve the mandate of defeating, decimating and degrading terrorists.”
Besides, HURIWA has for the umpteenth time called for the creation of a National Guard to be made up jointly of operatives from the armed forces and police and to be coordinated by a military General so this segment of the military would be focused exclusively on combating any manifestations of terrorism and such dastardly crimes as kidnappings for ransom and to tackle internal insurrection and then allow the military to exclusively focus on defending the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
HURIWA recalled that a statement by spokesperson for the Katsina state governor, Ibrahim Mohammed, said the operation, which was carried out in the night, was conducted as part of ongoing Operation Hadarin Daji.
It added that the operation targeted a criminal group affiliated with notorious terrorist kingpin Yusuf Yello and his close associates, and that more than 45 motorcycles were destroyed during the airstrikes.
The airstrike is the third of its kind carried out by NAF in recent weeks in the state, in which several suspected bandits have been neutralised.
HURIWA also recalled that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in another air raid, is reported to havr successfully neutralised over 100 bandits during a nighttime operation in Kuka Shidda Camp, Faskari LGA, Katsina State.
The operation, it was learnt, was conducted as part of Operation Hadarin Daji, targeted a criminal group affiliated with notorious terrorists kingpin Yusuf Yellow and his close associate Pabe Imani. Over 45 motorcycles were also destroyed during the airstrikes.
“This is the third successful air raid in the Faskari-Kankara axis in recent times, significantly disrupting bandit activities in the area.”
The statement from Katsina state government also said that security operatives have successfully foiled a kidnapping attempt Sunday morning in Kwata area, Jibia council area.
It said a credible police source disclosed that a distress call regarding the abduction of some residents in the area was received around 4:15 am.
He said a Superintendent of Police led an Armoured Personnel Vehicle (APC) patrol team to the scene, and that they arrived to find armed bandits holding three women captives.
Speaking on the almost unending war on terror that has gone on for over ten years with over 60,000 citizens killed by terrorists, the Rights group said the military hierarchy headed by the chief of defence staff or the ministry of Defence should publicise a deadline and timeline within which the war on terror should be won and brought to an end.
It submitted that the essence of issuing a timeline is for some top Generals who have turned the war on terror into a commercial enterprise and a profitable franchise, not to be tolerated by the system so as not to unduly prolonged the war on terror.
“This war on terror has been going on for years and it is common knowledge that some powerful elements embedded in both the military and the procurement section of the Defence Headquarters are making a kill of milking the nation of scarce resources in the name of awards of military contracts some of which are poorly executed and over-invoiced or over-inflated costs.
“It is a notorious fact that the EFCC and ICPC have made recoveries of billions of Naira meant originally for Defence and national security related funds but which were looted by top Generals and their contractors.”
HURIWA recalled that recently, Transparency International Defence & Security welcomed the seizure of $8.9million that was siphoned off by corrupt Nigerian officials from funds meant to be used to equip the country’s military in its fight against Boko Haram.
The Royal Court in Jersey, a British Crown Dependency, in January 2024 ruled that the funds were illicitly obtained by Nigerian officials in 2014.
Instead of being used for legitimate purchases of military equipment, the funds were moved out of Nigeria to a bank account in Jersey. The true source of the funds was obscured using foreign bank accounts and shell companies but the money ultimately benefited family members of Nigeria’s former ruling party.
Cutting the report by Transparency International, HURIWA recalled that Nigeria received an ‘E’ in Transparency International Defence & Security’s Government Defence Integrity Index, indicating a very high risk of corruption. Our assessment from 2018/19 showed Nigeria still faces considerable corruption risk across its defence institutions, with extremely limited controls in operations and procurement.
HURIWA insisted that corruption has become even more pervasive in the defence and national security related sector which is why it has become necessary that an agreed timeline is fixed for an end in the war on terror to put to an end the alleged massive procurement corruption that continues to be carried out by unscrupulous government officials.
