In response to the deaths of sixteen military men in Delta State, a former Army intelligence officer named Captain Umar Aliyu Babangida claimed that Nigerian soldiers ought to be the last to arrive at a crisis resolution. He bemoaned the fact that, because of the country’s security issues, there has been a constant military presence in all of Nigeria’s states for the past eight years. He voiced concerns about the military’s widespread use in internal security operations and how these actions have put these soldiers in risk.
He emphasized that soldiers are often deployed without prior knowledge of the crises they are entering, primarily functioning as local peacekeepers. He urged leaders to recognize the gravity of the situation confronting the country. He identified the need for comprehensive measures to address the multifaceted security challenges.
He said in an interview with Arise TV, ”The rate at which we have exposed our armed forces to internal security engagements has just underscored that English adage that says familiarity breeds contempt. Our soldiers are supposed to be our last card but in the last 8 years, they have been everywhere. There is no state where you don’t have a military presence because of the state of security in our country.
None of those soldiers knew they were going into a crisis, they were going in there as local peacekeepers. Now the challenge with peacekeeping in such cases is you are going to drag the eye of both parties. We have gotten to a stage where our leaders should understand that we have our backs against the wall. And for our soldiers, the challenges are so many that they must be equipped to meet those challenges.”
