Recently, a counter-terrorism outfit, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) of the Nigerian Army, raised the alarm over the increasing use of armed drones by Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East, warning that the devices are difficult to detect using conventional radar systems. Speaking during a briefing in Maiduguri, Borno State, the Theatre Commander, OPHK, Major-General Abdulsalam Abubakar, said that some of the drones deployed by the terrorists were similar to the ones used by Israel and Ukraine. He added that while the military had recorded significant successes in recent weeks, terrorist groups had also evolved in their strategies, taking advantage of regional instability and technological access. His words: “What is happening in Nigeria is not unconnected to the situation in the greater Sahel region whereby our neighbouring countries are being ransacked and weapons carted away. These weapons find their way into Nigeria, into our large cross-border areas, thereby re-energising the fight. Two years ago, we were ready to say the conflict was over, but the deterioration in security among the Sahel states has affected us. Despite this progress, the terrorists have also adapted.” According to Abubakar, the military had made significant progress in the counter-terrorism efforts in the region, and over 20,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) had returned to their ancestral homes.

Despite the military’s optimistic outlook on the situation in the North-East, Nigerians are evidently worried about the persistence of terrorist attacks and the resurgence of Boko Haram in the region. Recently, aggrieved members of the House of Representatives expressed grave concern over the heinous crimes committed by insurgents with sophisticated ammunition and with the aid of foreigners in Borno and other northern states. The lawmakers, who spoke during a debate on a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Honourable Ahmed Satomi following the recent fire incident at the armoury at Giwa Barracks, Maiduguri, and the escalating attacks on military formations in Borno and Yobe states, lamented the killing of innocent Nigerians, including security personnel, by terrorists.

Speaking on the motion, Satomi lamented that Boko Haram terrorists had escalated their attacks on several military formations within two months. He urged the House to conduct a thorough review of security measures in military installations to prevent similar incidents and strengthen security operations in Borno and Yobe states to protect military personnel and civilians. He added: “The House is concerned that the recent surge in Boko Haram attacks on military formations is deeply alarming, and also, the bravery and sacrifice of our military personnel are being tested by these relentless assaults.”

The climate in the North-East is indeed portentous. If Boko Haram terrorists are using sophisticated drones to target and take out Nigerian soldiers, it can only mean that the counter-terrorism war in the North-East has not achieved its broad aims. With the relentless attacks on soldiers and civilians, Boko Haram evidently has conveyed the point that life in the region is far from back to normal, even with the humongous resources committed to the war in almost two decades. And from allegations of massive corruption, complicity and the ill-equipment of soldiers, some of whom are simply sent to their deaths as it were, it is clear that the Nigerian public has a lot to worry about. If Boko Haram has managed to acquire drones and those drones look like the ones used by Israeli and Ukrainian forces, then it is reasonable to surmise that the terrorists have collaborators within the Nigerian security apparatus. The government must fish them out if it wants to stop the haemorrhage of personnel and funds in the North-East.

Terrorists cannot perpetually hold the country to ransom. The government must get to the root of the matter. It must seek answers to the questions thrown up by the situation. How can terrorists have such sophisticated weapons? Are they manufacturing drones? Who is funding the acquisition of the drones in question and how is this funding channeled? Who is giving the terrorists the technical and operational know-how? It is distressing that in defiance of the annual defence budgets, official pronouncements by the Presidency and the military high command, and indeed the authority of the Nigerian State, Boko Haram has scaled up its operations and launched endless attacks on military formations and civilian targets, demonstrating the ugly fact that the counter-terrorism war is deeply flawed and fractured. If the authorities had approached the counter-terrorism war with the honesty and seriousness that it deserves, Boko Haram would not be busy buying drones and putting the lives of Nigerians in peril. If terrorists kill soldiers at will, it is a sign that civilians are doomed. Who could have imagined this kind of thing 25 years ago? How can the government allow this kind of thing to fester?

The authorities must raise the stakes. They must be on top of their game. They must stop playing games. Terrorists and their financiers/collaborators deserve a speedy ride to hell, not operational leverage. They must not be allowed to live, let alone wreak havoc with impunity. It is the military and other security agencies that should be deploying drones, not Boko Haram, and whoever has made this anomaly possible should be hunted down and neutralised before they do further damage. Boko Haram terrorists should be perishing under the superior firepower of the security forces, not treating them like fodder. Needless to say, a timely and focused reinvention of the war effort is imperative. No two ways about it. (Nigerian Tribune Editorial)