Security: Where President Buhari’s Trumpet is Loudest 

By Mohammed Ali

It was the late Premier of Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, who said that if you do not blow your trumpet, nobody will; as others would be busy blowing theirs.

Incidentally, President Muhammadu Buhari is one who does not believe in blowing his trumpet.

Until last week when he charged government functionaries to showcase the achievements of his administration, the retired General who has been a governor, minister of petroleum, head of state and  now president, with many success stories to tell, believes more in action than words.

That is why despite the innumerable number of achievements recorded in his his current tenure as president, he hardly takes the gong to the market square to soak in self adulation, through either media chats or interviews or other avenues for self glorification.

From his mien, it is obvious he would rather his works speak for him. 

This contrasts sharply to the policy of previous  administrations where everything including the erection of bill boards are commissioned with fanfare, repeated on various platforms, and publicists sent ahead to blow the act out of proportion and make it appear like Nigeria has finally launched its own nuclear weapon.

President Buhari, within this year alone, has achieved quite a lot despite the Covid -19 challenges.

For instance, work has gone far on the Second Niger Bridge, power generation has increased substantially while long stretches of roads have been constructed. 

The administration has also increased the minimum wage and allowances of youth corpers, enrolled many less privileged in its social security scheme, the N-Power; and pulled many out of the unemployed market, but has moved on as if nothing happened. 

The administration has also handled the issue fo Covid -19 very well to check its spread but did not celebrate it like a previous administration did with the handling of Ebola.

But one area where even if the President decides not to utter a word about it, but which others have taken upon themselves to adumbrate due to the massive impact on the lives of many citizens, is in the area of security. 

Almost on a daily basis, people whose lives have been affected by the commitment shown by the current administration in addressing the security situation in the country have been coming out to commend the President from all parts of Nigeria like the Northeast, North west, North central, Southeast and South West.

They have been full of gratitude to the President for restoring  peace and order in those regions.

They proclaim on rooftops and other platforms that Nigeria has moved from a country that was perpetually under siege, to one that is sufficiently in peace.

From a nation which could not account for a large swathe of its territory, to one that is effectively in charge of one hundred percent of its territory.

Just this week, several armed bandits were killed at their hideout at the Kwiambana forest area of Zamfara State in massive strikes conducted by Operation Hadarin Daji which destroyed the logistics facilities of bandits following credible intelligence which established a cluster of huts and other structures at the edge of the forest serving as hideout for notorious bandit leaders.

Jets and helicopter gunships, procured by the President Buhari administration, were used in the operation.

The Nigerian Army has also moved from mere counter strategies to establishing special super camps where the logistics for counter offensive are handy and offensives are launched on the camp of the criminals. 

The military has moved from running away from the battlefield to bringing criminals on their knees and ordering them to surrender!

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai only this week, ordered troops to deal ruthlessly with criminals and bandits, kidnappers and marauders in the North west and all parts of Nigeria. 

This is even as the military is currently conducting Operation Sahel Danity and Hadarin Daji in Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Sokoto, Niger and Kebbi states.

The army has also penetrated criminal fortresses in Kuyelo and Birnin Gwari with sustained long range fighting patrols and other offensive military actions to totally and ruthlessly clear the areas of criminals, terrorists and bandits.

The Kaduna-Abuja expressway has also been cleared and criminal activities like kidnappings reduced.

All these are in addition to what the military is doing in the Northeast where it has not only recovered territories and freed communities from terrorists attacks but has made it difficult for the terrorists to attack communities at will.

Some months ago, troops of the Nigerian Army stationed in  Damasak, Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State, repelled attacks by Boko Haram insurgents who came in 13 gun trucks and swarmed the area at about 2:30 pm.

The troops overpowered the insurgents in a battle which lasted for over two hours.

Residents were to report that several dead bodies of the terrorists littered the ground in the area after the operation.

The ground operation was followed by another one by the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya Dole which obliterated a Boko Haram  meeting venue, along with other structures, and killed several of their fighters at Mainyakare on the fringes of the Sambisa Forest in Borno State.

Official figures say the military has eliminated about 2,000 number of terrorists and bandits in the North in the last three months with over 1600 killed in the Northeast and 392 bandits in the North West and North Central regions.

In the Northcentral, the current administration through the military has also freed communities from attacks and raids and many are now living normal lives and have returned to their farms.

The killing of the notorious criminal, Terwase Akwaza, also known as Gana, who has been terrorising the three states of Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa has also been greeted with wild jubilation. 

Little wonder the opposition is silent when it comes to the issue of security, as that is one area they cannot challenge the President. 

In all honesty, the President doesn’t even need a trumpet to blow his achievements in the area of security as they are visible enough for even the blind to see and loud enough for the deaf to hear.

Ali is a public affairs analyst based in Gusau.