FG to withdraw Military from internal operations
With peace gradually returning to most crisis-ridden communities and towns, the federal government will next year withdraw military personnel from internal operations across the country.
Apart from their engagement in the counter-insurgency war in the Northeast zone, Nigerian troops have been involved in various internal security activities in several parts of the country.
But the chief of naval staff, Rear Admiral Ibok Ekwe-Ibas, told State House correspondents after yesterday’s Security Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja, that the council appraised the year 2019 generally with emphasis on ongoing operations within and the regional level.
He said: “With respect to operations within the country, it was generally agreed and noted that the security agencies have done their very best in ensuring that the deliverables are made clear.
“We also recalled that in those areas where the military have been able to achieve desired objectives, from the first quarter of next year, the civil authorities will be preparing to take back those responsibilities as the military draws back its forces from those areas to enable it focus attention on other emerging threats and areas of concern,” Rear Admiral Ekwe-Ibas said.
The naval chief explained that the various operations in the Northeast, Northwest, North Central, the Southeast, and the Southwest where all members of the armed forces are taking part as well as the intelligence agencies had ensured that “we all enjoyed a better holiday period that has just been observed.
Ekwe-Ibas further said that “the council also observed that in the maritime environment a lot has been done to ensure that our resources are protected. The outcomes of the operations there have seen to the arrest of about six vessels that were involved in stealing the nation’s maritime resources.”
He said that President Buhari had directed that the council and the members of armed forces ensure a peaceful society in 2020, adding that “to that effect, we are more than determined to continue from where we stopped in 2019 and to ensure that we sustain our various operations to ensure a secured Nigeria for all of us.
“Basically, most of the internal security that we are having as you all are aware is supposed to be the responsibility of the civil authorities, the police in particular. Howbeit, so long as Nigeria is not engaged in war outside, it means whatever internal crisis that we have, the responsibility rest with the police. In the circumstances that the military has to come in to stabilise the situation; it is only proper that once one area has been dominated by the military and the situation has returned to normal that the Nigeria police take over the responsibility. And in this instance, we also have the civil defence which is supposed to support the police in this regards.
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“You will recall also that Mr. President recently approved the recruitment of about 10,000 Nigerians into the Nigeria Police Force, hoping that once these Nigerians get the appropriate training, they will be in the position to fill the gaps. You are aware that Nigeria is such a big country that we cannot tie down the military even in those areas that the deliverables have been achieved and the objectives achieved,” he said.
Despite these successes, Ekwe-Ibak said that in the last two weeks, “we have had over 27 attacks from Boko Haram and ISWAP in the Northeast alone.”
According to him, the gallant troops were able to repel those attacks and even takeout some of the terrorists commanders.
While admitting that it was a thing of concern, he said that the armed forces were doing all in their powers to ensure that with other regional partners, “the menace of ISWAP is contained.”
Still on the activities of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the chief of naval staff said that “I will also like you to look at it from a broader African perspective. There have in the recent past attacks in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Republic and other countries in West Africa.”
He said: “Of course, the genesis of ISWAP is well-known to all of us here. While it is painful to lose people and from within, I think the military is doing all within its powers to ensure that we overcome the menace and the threats posed by ISWAP.”
Asked if the military would be pulled out of the Northeast, he said: “Let me make it very clear that an assessment of what the military will do will be based on the situation on ground. It is not expected that the military will withdraw when it is apparent that there is still some threats in such locations. I’m sure we are also aware that the country is procuring equipment for the military. It is expected that before the second quarter of next year, most of these equipment shall be in place. It, therefore, means that all hands are put on ground looking at the technology-backed surveillance that will enable the military react more efficiently and effectively.
“With that, it is also believed that the Nigeria police will take the lead in containing security in such areas that must have been assessed to be in the right place to sustain. I don’t believe that a responsible military will want to withdraw when it is apparent that there is still risk that cannot be overcome by the police.
“Threat assessment will be carried out to see if such areas are capable of being manned by the police and the civil defence; that is the position that was reached.
“It is our wish to have the insurgency and terrorism issues resolved once and for all to enable us focus on matters of development.
At this point, I think you as partners (media) will also need to do that much to encourage our armed forces and other security agencies to ensure that what we have coming out from you, supports the efforts of the military while you are doing your legitimate work. It is our hope that we will get done with this insurgency and terrorism that have besieged our country,” Ekwe-Ibas said.
