Nigeria Times

By Thomas Uzah PhD

Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai came like a dunce on the hottest seat of battle some five years ago. Many were under the faulty illusion that he sneaked his way unto the path of death on the plains, forests, and mountains of the Northeast in the hands of the merciless and militant extremist Boko Haram sect. At incipience, the odd Islamist sect voiced to the world about their vicious mission to conquer Nigeria and restore an oppressive and alien Islamic Caliphate on the people.

But a patent snag with such discretionary action was that Boko Haram had an identity only its religious cannibals and proponents of the ideology discerned in precise terms and understood by themselves alone; and no one else. Boko Haram quaked meaningless noises to the undiscerning, and loudly, blew the trumpets war with might and energetic boastfulness.

For years, the entire Northeast terrains “were a dragons field”, enclaves dreaded by natives, strangers and even, the security agents. Boko Haram damnably invaded the communities and villages of a helpless people, captured and enforced cruel, ferocious and unorthodox cannons alien to the Islamic world and practices.

The people reaped bountifully in blood, gruesome murders, abductions and arsons. The fire of hell had less fury than the rampaging blades, swords and bombs of insurgents. The people groaned; while the state gazed effeminately at flames ignited by serial detonating bombs of insurgents; more horrified than victims of the butcheries.

But a nemesis awaited in the offing for insurgents unknowingly! By a stroke of misfortune for Boko Haram, it was the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari as the democratic leader of Nigeria. And insurgents’ greatest regret was the enthronement of an anti-terrorism wizard, Gen. Buratai as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and leader of the counter-insurgency operations as well as other Internal Security upheavals in Nigeria.

With decades of resourceful military training and enriching experiences as Infantry Combatant; Gen. Buratai, who last served as the Field Commander, Multi-National Joint Task Force (M-NJTF) rendered himself to this national assignment with all godly determination; while the Pharaohs of Nigeria erroneously perceived him a naivete of the trenches. His facial looks and even physique never betrayed his inside toughness, warfare astuteness and leadership treasures embedded in his tiny physiognomy. His looks are very receptively harmless to both enemies and friends.

And insurgents mistook him for some wishy-washy Army Chief and leader of the unconventional and complex insurgency war. Boko Haram in precise terms proudly underrated the capacity of Gen. Buratai, which was bolstered by their past experiences with Nigeria’s former Military Chiefs who prosecuted the counter-insurgency years unending.

Full of arrogance of fake might, like some characters in one of Nollywood’s thrilling titles “Fatal Mistake,” produced by Mr. Nwafor Anayo, Boko Haram insurgents never realized the warfare expertise in the new leader of the counter-insurgency operations. But beneath Gen. Buratai’s amiable looks, lies the strength of a roaring and devouring lion of the jungles.

Without a second thought, Gen. Buratai knew a formidable, responsible, responsive and adequately equipped Nigerian Army was the indispensable panacea to the Boko Haram challenge, which at that time, appeared to defy all solutions. By his calculations, a voyage of transformation with the overall objective to catapult the Nigerian Army into a modern people’s Army, versatile in fighting Nigeria’s enemies and also, contributing to the security and economic agenda of the government.
Therefore, Gen. Buratai fetched from his deep reservoir of knowledge to introduce resounding reforms and innovations in the Nigerian Army. It did not take long before these reforms begun to trickle in, bearing eatable fruits. There is no bargaining that the transformation has elevated the Nigerian Army into a strong, virile and modern institution worthy of reckoning in Africa.

First, with the approval of Mr. President, Gen. Buratai’s unsatisfactory method of salaries and allowances to troops on the frontlines, erased the culture of delayed or sometimes, denied payments. With this done, troops whose spirit was dampened in the warfront became automatically animated. Added to it were special incentives to embolden hard working soldiers at the battlefield in form of accelerated promotions, among others, Nigerian troops began to massively defeat insurgents on the warfront and seized territories reclaimed.

The Army Chief trained and retrained soldiers in batches. The training platforms provided them with the opportunity to refresh their knowledge on modern warfare trends with emphasis on combating terrorism. Gen. Buratai invigorated forsaken and dysfunctional Nigerian Army training institutions to facilitate the internal training of soldiers. The Army which is often described as an independent island anywhere, but which unfortunately lost its prestige in Nigeria for decades because of neglect, regained it smugly, with shiny performance outcomes in the frontlines.

So, the Army’s former institutions like the Nigerian Army Command Engineering Depot (CED) in Kaduna, with a vehicle-manufacturing unit was revitalized. Today, Nigerian Army is producing Nigeria’s indigenous and tropicalized war vehicle nicknamed MRAP – the EZUGWU MRAP from materials sourced locally.

The Nigerian Army School of Engineering, and Nigerian Army School of Artillery have come on stream, with capacities sourced locally to provide internal training to soldiers and also, manufacturing of some of the weapons used in the counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria. Through these efforts, Nigeria is saved vital and scarce foreign exchange troubles and exemplified all hands-on deck leadership of the Army.

Similarly, actively backed by President Buhari; himself, a leader very sensitive to the issue of security in Nigeria, Gen. Buratai engineered the establishment of special Army schools like the Nigerian Army Aviation School and the Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB). With the Army Aviation school already training pilots and crew technicians, the Nigerian Army has sparked national attention as it looks forward to the launching of the Nigerian Army Aviation wing to battle Boko Haram insurgency and ISWAP terrorism; while NAUB is spearheading the training of soldiers on modern technological warfare.

Under Gen. Buratai’s leadership, gone are the days soldiers who served their country meritoriously agonize about shelter with their families after retirement. In partnership with some private organizations, the Nigerian Army is investing in the NA Post Service Housing Development Limited for soldiers, with first and special emphasis on soldiers who served in the counter-insurgency operations.

What’s more, even soldiers still in service are no longer constrained to inhabit ramshackle and dilapidated Barracks with their families. Almost all Army Barracks have undergone a facelift, with equipped schools, hospitals, water and other amenities for convenience of soldiers. The same awe attracted by improvements in Army facilities across the nation have also displayed imprints in office accommodation for soldiers in all Army Divisions, with modern state-of-art facilities.

The provision of tertiary or referral health centers have been the obsession of Gen. Buratai. Just within five years, the Nigerian Army is now the proud owners of two new and additional referral hospitals-one in Ebonyi and another in Maiduguri which have the mandate to serve both the Military and civilians.

But more interestingly and in tandem with global trends, the NA is developing its capacity to contribute to the economic development agenda of the present political leadership in Nigeria. Army investments have marketable identities such as the Nigeria Army Farm and Ranches, Command Engineering Depot, as well as NA Property Limited and NA Welfare Limited by Guarantee; which also offer some of its products and services to the Nigerian public.These Army agro-investments chain are contributing enormously to the challenge of food insecurity in the nation.

It is glaring that Gen. Buratai’s transformational leadership is so far yielding beautiful fruits, which are already consummated throughout the country. One good thing about it is that the Army Chief’s voyage to transform the Nigerian Army has positively rubbed on both Army personnel and the Nigerian public. It’s a reality of excitement that the Nigerian Army under the leadership of Gen. Buratai is no longer famed as the womanish, cowardly dependent and hopelessness institution which relied on outsiders to fight its battles or serve its needs.

Uzah PhD is head of mass communication department, Kwararafa University Wukari

By Simon Shango

The Nigerian media buzzed with news of the visit of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. TY Buratai on Monday 14th September 2020 to the home State of his senior and retired colleague, Gen. Gen. Alani Akinrinade, Osun.

The former COAS had a privilege, courtesy of the invitation extended to him by the Osun State Governor, to speak at a banquet dinner in honour of his visiting predecessor to Osun State, which took place at the Osun State Govt House Banquet Hall.

My heart gladdened at this development in the sense that while overtly, the visit to the State was to commission projects executed by the Nigerian Army under its plank of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); underneath that chanced meeting, lied the window of the COAS interacting with his senior colleague to tap from his rich treasure of experience as the former COAS and later Chief of Defence Staff under the Shagari Presidency in the 1980s.

However, media accounts of the speech of Gen. Akinirinade (rtd) reported verbatim left me with a sour taste in the mouth. It contained somewhat “abominable” utterances which undermined his status as an elder statesman, the office of the President of Nigeria, and even his guest, Gen. Buratai. I found his remarks and message to Mr. President extremely distasteful by the sheer misrepresentations and misplacements of existing facts.

Let me admit ab initio that as peers and people within the same age, who are now regarded as elders, I will be unfair to discuss such sensitive issues publicly. But when it becomes a public document like his speech, it is only wise that I respond to Gen. Akinrinade in the same manner and fashion he ventilated his opinions because he politicized the issues by my judgment.

It was my utmost conviction that Gen. Akinrinade (rtd) having climbed steadily through the ranks in the military to become a Lieutenant General, one expected him to have acted better while commenting on a sensitive matter as the security challenges facing the country. He, however, disappointed me and I believe many other Nigerians. First, the retired General should have sought to discuss these issues in private, rather than making it public.

As an elder, a former colleague of Mr. President in the Nigerian Army and stakeholder in the Nigerian project, there is no way President Buhari wouldn’t have granted Gen. Akinrinade a private audience. President Buhari is a listening President, who respects every elder in the country and even the ordinary Nigerian knows this. The outcome of a private visit would have gone a long way in complementing the enormous successes Buhari has recorded in the fight against insecurities in the country. His assertions on the security situation in the country are misleading and they do not portray him as someone very knowledgeable on the subject matter.

It is unfortunate that Gen. Akinrinade easily bought into the cheap propaganda that the President is a sectional leader who promotes the agenda for a takeover of Nigeria by his Fulani tribe as disseminated by the opposition and his detractors. As an elder statesman, Akinrinade should be at the forefront of championing for a Nigeria that is devoid of division. His age and experience should play a part to convince the younger generation that no President can put his immediate tribe above the collective good of the nation. It is rather unfortunate that he has enlisted into the league of those spreading hate against the President’s tribe.

The former Defence Chief has forgotten that the issue of herdsmen and farmers predates the Buhari administration. As the President and Commander-in-Chief, Buhari has accorded appropriate priority in this regard by putting measures in place to curtail the excesses of the herdsmen on farmers.

For instance, in 2018, the Defence Headquarters kicked off “Exercise Ayem A Akpatema” (cat race) phases I, II and now III; which is operating alongside “Operation Whirl Stroke” (OPWS) in the Middle Belt. It features a Joint Military Intervention Force (JMIF), comprising Regular and Special Forces personnel from the Army, Air Force and Navy, and working in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security (DSS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).

The main aim of these Military operations is to counter armed herdsmen and militia groups operating especially around Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba and Plateau States and environs. These operations have been very successful in restoring calm to its areas of coverage. The Governors of these states have testified to its workability at different times. And with the successes recorded by these operations, it will be unfair for anyone to say the President does not interfere in curbing the brigandage of the Fulani herdsmen.

Again, Gen. Akinrinade said that the President has performed woefully in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency. But we all were aware when Boko Haram was infiltrating all the nook and crannies of this country prior to Buhari’s emergence as the President and even making ingress into Southern Nigeria. Markets were not safe, neither were schools and churches. As the Centre of attraction, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, was not safe also for anyone. It is a statement of fact that bombs were exploding everywhere in this country prior to President Buhari’s emergence as Nigeria’s democratic leader.

The fight against Boko Haram and other forms of criminalities have received priority attention under the Buhari administration and the men and women of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have considerably downgraded similar threats across all geo-political zones. In fact, all the Local Governments and territories that were hitherto taken over by the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states have long been recovered and are now occupied by displaced indigenes of these areas who were hitherto forced to seek a living in areas far from their ancestral homes.

More than a million displaced persons have returned to their homes and communities across the Northeast, since 2016. Thousands of hostages have been freed from Boko Haram captivity, including the majority of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted in April 2014, and 105 of the Dapchi Girls abducted in February 2018.

I think, with these efforts, history will always smile on President Buhari. And people like Gen. Akinrinade, who have chosen to be economical with the truth need to rather support the President to do more, since securing the nation is a collective effort and does not rest with one man.

Gen. Akinrinade also raised the issue of the President’s appointments not reflecting the heterogeneous composition of our country, Nigeria. What the General fails to comprehend is that President Buhari has never refused to honour the constitutional requirement to appoint people across the country in his government. But be that as it may, every President would prefer to appoint people that he/she would work closely with based on their competence, loyalty and trustworthiness, and not their ethnicity or religion. And the president has not hidden this fact. Moreover, all the actions and inactions of the administration will be solely placed on him after his tenure.

Gen. Akinrinade sounded sarcastic as if much is not done on the welfare of the security personnel. But credit must also be given to President Buhari for taking the interest of the military and other security agencies seriously. We are all aware of how the previous government diverted monies meant for the purchase of arms and the welfare of our security for personal use.
The Buhari administration has not only made sure that our security agencies have enough arms to fight terrorism and other forms of criminality, the government has approved and implemented new salary packages for the Military and Police. It has similarly, established a Nigerian Police Trust Fund as a public-private sector vehicle for alternative sources of funding security activities. This has gone a long way to motivate our security personnel to put in their best.

Above all, though, the request by Gen. Akinrinade to the COAS for more projects in Osun states is most baffling. May I kindly remind him that the Nigerian Army is not a projects development and execution agency. It is only Gen. Buratai’s leadership foresight and feeling for humanity that has introduced CSR projects from the Army’s meagre resources.

Again, agitations for succession as alleged by the retired General, have been with us in this country for a long time and this cannot be placed on the doorsteps of President Buhari. I am sure that Gen. Akninrinade knows this. As far as I am concerned, the President has done his best to keep the country as one.

Looking at the motley of problems he inherited, there are obvious signs that the country is heading towards the right direction. Statesmen like Gen. Akinrinade needs to seek the private attention of the President and offer genuine suggestions and advise; not by playing to the gallery or swimming in currents of politics like others.

Again, with all the noise and allegations that the President does not support the restructuring of the country, people like Gen. Akinrinade have suddenly forgotten that President Buhari and his party, the APC included devolution of power, true federalism in their manifesto. The party constituted a restructuring committee in 2019, headed by the Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai. That committee has submitted its report to the party caucus which the President is a member. The President too endorsed the outcome.

But one thing people have failed to understand is that restructuring lies with the National Assembly. The President is not a military dictator; he cannot change anything by decree. Sovereignty in Nigeria now is vested in the National Assembly. Before restructuring can take place, there must be an act of the National Assembly to create that referendum. It is not the President that would do it by fiat or by Executive Order. It must go through the National Assembly. But already some Southerners like former President Olusegun Obasanjo are already kicking against the idea of the proposed constitutional amendment.

Let me again touch on the issue of herders/farmers clashes. The allegations that farmers have been forced to abandon their farms as a result of insecurity and as such famine is imminent is totally false because most of our displaced people have returned to their farms as a result of the stability in the security of the country.
More Nigerians have taken advantage of the opportunity in the agri-business sector initiative put in place by the government through the food security initiative, where the government is promoting “Grow What We Eat” and “Eat What We Grow.” The CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme and other similar schemes have rather attracted more farmers. With these initiatives and bumper harvests that we have experienced from the previous years, Nigeria cannot be borrowing grains from neighbouring ECOWAS countries as the retired General alleged. Akinrinade should know better.

Chief Shango is a veteran journalist and wrote from Abuja.

Abu Duniya

In the last few weeks, Nigerians have been inundated with cries of condemnations from the members of the proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) about the behind-the-scenes photos and a 12-minute-clip from the set of Nollywood movie titled, ‘Fatal Arrogance,’ still in the oven or production room. The movie which is produced by Anosike Kingsley Orji, was shot in Enugu, the Coal City and has a veteran Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie, playing the lead role.

Predictably, the movie title is derived from the book written by a security analyst cum activist, Mr. Terrence Kuanum. What many are confused is why the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) would be jittery over a movie that is still under production and has not yet been released to the public?

Already, the group has started pointing accusing fingers at some highly respected security institutions and its leadership, claiming those they consider as their enemies are responsible for sponsorship of the movie production. An evil man is perpetually under the illusion that he is being haunted. So, the IMN have also accused the lead actor, Pete Edochie of lending credibility to the movie as well as depicting and portraying the terrorist group and its arrow-head of terror , Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, in a demeaning manner.

But this is a movie whose official trailer is yet to be released, and the name of the IMN leader is not mentioned. How come IMN is already agitated and making allegations? That’s the “Fatal Mistake” in the whole sordid drama by the outlaws in IMN, which best illustrates the efficacy of the axiom that evildoers perpetually dread their shadows, even when they are nowhere near anyone’s target. Are the outlawed IMN members afraid of their own shadows. That’s the power of retributive justice.

The IMN has no right of attacking and condemning Pete Edochie for taking a role in any movie. He is a professional actor and provided his services to the hirer for a fee and it is legitimate. Why are IMN member bothered about the credibility of Edochie? Has their leader, El-Zakzaky any credible credibility, outside lies, incitement to breach of public peace, violence and bloodshed, killings and terrorism ?

Film acting is a trade Edochie has been known for all his life. In the countless movies in which he has featured in the past, some of which he has played the role of a wicked King, from a setting depicting a particular people or culture, did those concerned took arms against him or hurled threats at him or why didn’t the IMN complain then? The IMN has no veto powers to pass judgment on the person of Pete Edochie and his professional career.

The IMN and their violent activities are not new to anyone, hence the people and Government of Nigeria have always been critical of them. First, the movement fundamentally believes and proclaims that there is no government except the tin god they profess allegiance in some foreign country.

The same leader and founder of the group, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, whom they are claiming has been portrayed in a demeaning manner in the movie, has since the early 1980s, called for an Islamic revolution to create an Islamic state in Nigeria, an end to Western influence in the country and the stringent adoption of Islamic legal codes, principles and systems violently. This same group is very critical of Northern Nigeria’s traditional, religious and political elite.

The IMN has a history of violence even though they claim they have a reputation for upholding peace even at the peak of unprovoked attacks. The group has a history of clashes with the Nigerian security forces and other Muslim groups.

In 1991, El-Zakzaky and his followers clashed with security forces in Katsina.
In 1996, his followers seized and decapitated a Christian on the allegation that his wife used pages torn from the Quran to clean their infant baby. What a shame to humanity! Precisely in June 2005, this same group clashed with the emirate authorities in Sokoto, over access to the city’s central mosque. In July 2007, the sect masterminded the murder of a Sunni cleric in Sokoto, Umar Dan Maishiya, who had been highly critical of the IMN and its activities . It sparked reprisal attacks that killed at least five persons and destroyed many of their homes.

Members of the IMN and supporters of El-Zakzaky had in September 2009, clashed with police in Zaria, leading to injuries and deaths on both sides. The group had another major clash with the military, during a pro-Palestinian procession in Zaria on 25 July 2014, and three sons of El-Zakzaky, all undergraduates at the time lost their lives.

Are these imaginary images of the outlawed IMN? Why are they questioning the contents of “Fatal Mistake,” even if directed at them? Normal human beings protest what is falsehoods; but truth cannot be blurred and IMN should not place itself in a position to continue to intimidate and harass other Nigerians with their foolery.

Indeed, the relationship between IMN and the Government has always been characterized by antagonisms and recurrent hostilities. The Government views IMN as an extremist group building up the critical mass it needs to eventually turn incontrollable like the Boko Haram sect, while they (IMN) claim the Government want to wipe it out. No one quarrels with it; but the outlawed IMN must necessarily create its own country to operate by a different set of rules or laws, but not in Nigeria.

Their aberration are serial. In 2015, this same group blocked the road in Kaduna state, denying the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai and his convoy passage, while on official duty, when he was en-route to a military ceremony in the city of Zaria. Hundreds of armed members of the group barricaded General Buratai’s way, brandishing clubs and chanting Allahu Akbar (God is great), on the flimsy excuse that their leader was to use the same public road at about that time. What impunity! Even at this incident, the incensed IMN members cracked the trouble first.

They ignored warnings to disperse, then started pelting the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff with dangerous objects. The troops responsible for the Army Chief’s safety had to protect him by clearing the barricades forcefully, but did so in accordance with the Army’s rules of engagement and code of conduct. If a group who claims to be a peaceful religious can go to the extent of blocking and attacking the convoy of COAS of the country, then there is absolutely nobody that the group will be afraid of.

Again the death of a Deputy Police Commissioner, Usman Umar, who was fatally shot, and the many others that were injured in the violent protest by the IMN in Abuja in 2019 is still fresh in our minds. If not for the aggressive and intolerant nature of this group, Precious Owolabi, a youth Corps Member and Channels Television reporter would still be alive. This intolerant group has left a hole in the hearts of the deceased parents and relatives and they will grieve for a lifetime. Nigerians have not forgotten it.

The IMN has no face saving because Nigerians know them as a violent group. What the group fails to understand is that, the movie which they are so much afraid of, has just a fraction of their atrocities to tell Nigerians. The whole world knows about their activities and penchant for violence. Their condemnation and aspersions on the producers and entire cast of the yet-to-be released movie has rather helped to give it the needed publicity. In fact, we are now looking forward to the release date. We are all waiting to watch this movie.

Duniya is a public affairs commentator and wrote from Kaduna.

By Charles Ibekwe

The renewed senseless ranting from members of the outlawed terrorists sect, Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) popularly known El-Zakzaky Terrorists in Nigeria is increasingly becoming hollow. Nigeria is a country which has suffered enough tribulations in the hands of terrorists and terror-inclined sects.

President Muhammadu Buhari must step- up efforts to safeguard Nigerians against these bloodsucking sects most of which are garbed in deceptive religious garbs. Added to this vexatious posture is the penchant of IMN members particularly to think, it can redefine existence in Nigeria according to their satanic laws, or creed, despite the country’s plurality and diverseness.

In truth, the barbaric intransigence of the outlawed IMN members is becoming unbearable and unacceptable. They cannot create a new set of laws for Nigerians. Democratic liberties also have limitations. And the imaginary IMN members should not think they can impose their will on Nigerians anymore.

The recent viral vidoe clips from the yet-to-be released Nollywood film titled- “Fatal Arrogance,” shot in the ancient city of Enugu and produced by a seasoned film producer, Mr. Anosike Kingsley Orji, seemed to have drawn the ire of the incensed souls in the outlawed IMN. They have adduced reasons for their anger, or veiled threats to actors and sponsors of the film, but largely sieved from inference or a self-inflicted haunting shadows of their past evils against the peaceful and hospitable people of Nigeria.

It’s doubtful whether these reprobates know the functionality and meaning of an artwork. Besides, artistes have poetic freedom and protected by laws of the federation of Nigeria.

Wiktionary simply defines a work of art to which film production is a genre as a “fictional account; a story; a fictitious account; an account of events that never took place, though originally thought to be genuine….” Therefore, what is the fuss and the fury of the outlawed IMN members.

In the first place, the IMN in Nigeria and their members who stage out under this lawfully prohibited banner are offending Nigerian laws. But it is not surprising because the outlawed sect has earned for itself, the notorious reputation of arrangance and the proclivity of undermining the laws of the country and constituted authority.

But the IMN are overstretching their luck and humane liberty extended to them. It flagrantly abused the freedom the Nigerian state granted it by operating for over 41 years as an illegal entity. However, it cannot continue to seek dubiously to circumvent with brute force Nigerian laws with such effrontery of threats to anybody or actors of a film, which by their jaundiced verdict, depicted their terrorists-in-chief, deceptor and jailbird, Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky in bad light.

Therefore, their current campaigns against the film, “Fatal Arrogance,” is the latest intolerable hallucinations from these evildoers. They woke up Ngerians to series of campaigns of calumny against the state, which lacked substance and merit, but animates their crazy souls to embark on an orgy of violence and killings. Let them be forewarned; it is unforgivably risky to contemplate such moves this time.

If indeed, the film which is yet to be released, must pass through Nigerian Films Censors Board and approval obtained before public consumption, portrayed El-Zakzaky by their weird verdict, it only serves their evil mindset. And they should refrain from dragging Nigeria or Nigerians into their messy past.

For reasonable people, if the IMN members have ever thought of it, they would have used the message and rare opportunity of the film which they presumed perjoratively recounted their odious operations to deeply reflect. They would have reflected on their repulsive lifestyles, which their neighbors everywhere in the North decried; some security agents and civilians paid the supreme price through their swords and the Nigerian Government banned the organization for the perpetual, demonic and violent confrontations of the sect.

Consequently, it is therefore not misplaced for the IMN outlawed group to frown at the movie shot in Enugu, which a guilty conscience has reactivated their narrowed minds and restricted perspectives that the contents exposed the atrocities of the sect. Thoughts are free in Nigeria and the constitutionally guaranteed right of every Nigerian especially as espoused by the administration of President Buhari.

But the proscribed sect members should wear their thinking cap and never be under the mistaken illusion that Nigerians would be taken for a ride again. It’s enough of the perpetration of this evil on Nigerians. They should be prepared to meet fire for fire anytime their nuts let loose in the head again.

Only those unfamiliar with the atrocious activities of the IMN group would think serious film producers and actors, including the veteran Anosike and Pete Edochie will commit precious resources, energy and time to couple a movie on a worthless and destructive sect like IMN and it’s leader.

No Nigerian does not know IMN is a sophisticated terror network, backed and financed by some foreign countries to rattle and destabilize Nigeria. A film is too expensive for anyone who values his resources to commit it to the worthless cause, the outlawed IMN is pursuing in Nigeria through other illegal means.

But these rogues in Nigeria should not enliven the recent sad memories they unconscienably deposited on the pysche of Nigerians by their series of violent and tragic outings in Abuja. The memories are too fresh for them to cogitate another move in this direction.

IMN members in dozens, armed to the teeth went out on a certain day in Abuja to waste the lives of a policeman and that of a journalist, under the pretext and deception that its leader, El- Zakzakky was languishing in prison and in near death condition. But Nigerians now know better now.

The innocent Nigerian senior police officer was killed in cold blood in the line of duty; so, also, the journalist and other Nigerians were gravely wounded by IMN armed fighters. Yet, El- Zakzaky was in good health. His eyes were intact and the sect killed other Nigerians so that El-Zakzaky could have life. What an irony?

What else can define IMN as a terrorists sect? So, a movie is not and would never be necessary to project them as the most recent reincarnated devils in Nigeria.

But still on the El-Zakzaky narrative, the terrorists-in-chief wasted Nigeria’s scarce resources on a phantom medical trip to India; but it ended up in amusing drama, as he rather plotted to beat security and illegally escape to either Iraq or Iran.
He hurriedly packaged himself back to Nigeria when he discovered security tightened and there was no escape route.

But had President Buhari failed to grant El-Zakzaky’s request for medical attention in foreign lands, his personal lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana was almost at the point of inventing discretionary laws to describe Mr. President’s “undemocratic and autocratic” leadership of Nigeria. But thus granted, it ended in ruse and surely, the later facts embarrassed Falana himself.

So, Nigerians don’t need a movie to know that the IMN as a terrorists sect by their actions; endorsed by Nigerian laws and courts is not only evil, but is being funded by some foreign countries. No movie can serve this knowledge anew to Nigerians. The IMN is guilty to the extent their suspicions have misled them.

Ibekwe is a security expert and wrote this piece from Enugu.

By David Onmeje

The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has scored many goals in different sectors of the Nigerian economy since 2015 when he assumed leadership of the country. Even though this fact has not been highlighted strategically by the media handlers of the President, in some quarters, it was stated that the body language of the president is not keen on grandstanding and media hype.

While this is understandable, it doesn’t change the fact that a lot hasn’t been done and hence the reason for this piece. I decided to concentrate this piece on the critical security sector because security is the foundation for peace and sustainable development in any given society.

Peace and security is an essential factor in human life. A peaceful and secure environment is critical to every society since it affects all aspects of economic and social development in a country, and is a necessary sin-qua non to the realization of human rights. These have direct effects on the creation of sound, competitive and equitable economic development, which ultimately has a positive impact on the whole society.

We should also remember that the world we live in has become increasingly more complex, with new security challenges developing not just daily but every other minute—counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, multilateral peace-keeping reconstruction operations, to mention but a few. No country can develop or grow economically without peaceful coexistence among its population, and within its borders.

However, building peace and adequate security involves a wide range of efforts by diverse actors in government at the community, state and national levels to address the root causes of violence and ensure that people have freedom from fear of humiliation, war and conflicts.

As I have already acknowledged, peace and security, sustainable economic growth and development and the rule of law are essential to the progress and prosperity of all. Every government must be committed to an effective multilateral system based on inclusiveness, equity, justice and regional cooperation as the best foundation for achieving consensus and progress on significant security challenges. This is where I have scored the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari high. This is against the propaganda propelled by some certain interests that are hell-bent on seeing to the disintegration of Nigeria.

With challenges of insecurity ranging from banditry to terrorism, cattle rustlers, kidnappers, piracy, and militancy, Nigeria has not had it easy. The Buhari administration has invested heavily in arms and weapons through government to government military deals with the United States, Russian, Chinese and Pakistani governments to boost the fight against Boko Haram.
The Nigerian Military has also witnessed a total overhaul that positioned it for the numerous exploits in the war against terrorism and other acts of criminalities across the country. It is on record that under President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian Military has transformed into a professional fighting force. And one that is responsive to the various security threats in the country.

A good example of the exploits of the Nigerian Military under the Muhammadu Buhari administration is in its various interventions in internal security operations across the country. Operation Sahel Sanity amongst other interventions gives a clear picture of how the Nigerian Military has indeed risen to the occasion in critical times in addressing security challenges in the country.

The exploits of the Nigerian Military in the war against Boko Haram is also another worthy example. It is on record that in the six states in North-East Nigeria, the Nigerian Military has been able to successfully address the Boko Haram threat in five states that in the past two years there hasn’t been any record of Boko Haram attack in these states.

It is also on record that since the coming of Muhammadu Buhari as president, the Boko Haram insurgents have not been able to carry out attacks in the Federal Capital Territory unlike in times past where the nation’s capital was under constant Boko Haram attacks on critical government infrastructures and public places such as places of worship, markets and motor parks.

Under the Muhammadu Buhari administration, government efforts at encouraging Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to return to their communities were given top priority. To this end, Operation Last Hold, which was designed to degrade the Boko Haram terrorist further, facilitate the relocation of IDPs to their communities and to promote civil-military relations was also established. And it is a statement of the fact that Operation Last Hold indeed recorded tremendous success.

The Nigerian Military has also supported the entrenchment of democracy in Nigeria as evident in the conduct of the 2019 general elections in Nigeria where it set up a situation room to monitor the security situation across the country and responded adequately in averting what would have been an escalation of violence across the country as in times past.

In all of these, one thing stands out and which is the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has displayed an unalloyed commitment towards setting Nigeria on the path of greatness. I dare say that if President Muhammadu Buhari was the kind of leader that loves to blow his trumpet; the sound would have been thunderous. But again as a sincere and honest leader that he is, and one who doesn’t believe in blowing his trumpet is an indication of a leader whose major preoccupation is delivering the dividends of democracy and fulfilling his social contract with the people.

I must state that the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari in the security sector are such that should be a reference point in leadership. This is indeed where the trumpet is loudest as it has served as the foundation for the numerous achievements in other critical sectors of the economy. It is hoped that those that have been fueling acts of brigandage across the country would have a rethink and retrace their steps.

Onmeje wrote this piece from the United Kingdom.