I do not mean “Ten-hut!” in a literal sense. Of course, I’m a “bloody civilian.” But, I am alarmed
at the news of killing of officers and men of the Nigerian Army. My father was a 63 NA trooper, a Civil
War vet who did his best to keep Nigeria intact. In the normal schedule of men-allotment during
battle conditions, a sergeant leads a squad of four troopers, a lieutenant leads a platoon of 12
troopers and, a captain leads a company of two or more platoons (let us say five platoons of 60
troopers). And a major? He is a desk-warming upward moving admin officer. Now, how come
bandits ambushed and finished-off a half-platoon contingent of soldiers consisting of a major, a
captain, and four soldiers? Is the Nigerian Army so terribly short of personnel nowadays? This
brings up the kernel of the matter that should excite our military planners, that of activation of
native national guard battalions that can be federalised in times of national crises but whose main
function is maintaining the peace in their states or local domains of identification. Thus, there
ought to be a Benue National Guard Brigade consisting of Tiv and Idoma battalions protecting the
Gwer-Adoka flank and other combustibles places. There ought also to be a Kaduna National Guard
brigade consisting of Atyap battalion and battalions of the other tribal make up. Ditto one for
Plateau and Niger and other distressed states. The national guard security-complement concept
works very well in the US. It should be operational here pronto.
Sunday Adole Jonah,
Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State
