Tips for the Military to Overcome Terrorism

A retired military officer and security adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State, Col. Ahmed Usman (rtd.), last week gave tips to the Nigerian armed forces if they must overcome the terrorism and banditry ravaging the country.

He raised concerns over the increasing rate of ambushes on security operatives, which have led to deaths, attributing the trend to the current strategies in the fight against terrorism and banditry.

Usman’s intervention came in the wake of the reported killing of no fewer than 12 soldiers and a police officer in an ambush by gunmen in Giro Masa community, Shanga Local Government Area of Kebbi State and many others.

The retired officer described the incident as a grim reminder of the urgent need to overhaul Nigeria’s security strategy. He stressed that such attacks further validated his concerns that insurgents and bandits, operating with unconventional tactics, continued to outmaneuver security forces relying on traditional methods.

He said the real challenge is the continued reliance on conventional military tactics to confront insurgents and criminal groups who operated using unconventional methods.

The retired officer explained that terrorist groups, bandits and insurgents had evolved in their operations, adopting guerrilla warfare tactics that emphasised speed, surprise, and deep knowledge of local terrain. He noted that such methods often outmaneuvered traditional military formations, thereby exposing troops to avoidable ambushes and casualties.

Though Col. Usman’s is not new, it is borne out of genuine concern for the frequent loss of lives in the military.

For instance, last week, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, also urged the Nigerian military to adopt a more proactive and aggressive strategy by taking the war directly to the hideouts of terrorists, rather than waiting to react to attacks.

The Sultan, who is a retired brigadier-general, urged the military and intelligence agencies to intensify efforts in tackling terrorism in the country.

While the federal government must increase investment in modern surveillance and reconnaissance technologies such as drones and real-time communication tools to support intelligence-led operations, security agencies need to put their houses in order, and recalibrate their strategies.