My Dear President,
I write to you with a heavy heart, particularly on the issue of the Chibok Girls, because I am confident that you are genuinely interested in their safe return; not only because of the political bonus but for humanity reasons.
Unfortunately, available security research and precedents from around the world on handling of profile abduction cases do not align with the recent methodology employed by Nigeria’s security infrastructure, as the best approach to achieving the type of outcome you are hoping for……
As a Counter Terrorism Analyst, I strongly believe that this is the appropriate time to revisit the security strategy deployed by the Federal Government on this matter, and the need to honestly set up a special task-force to handle the issues relating to the Chibok Girls. Nigeria Armed Forces are currently overwhelmed with all their security operations in the North-east, South-south and South-east, thus, it is advisable to give the Inspector General of Police a lead on the Chibok Girls issue, which is constitutional and allow the military to attach an elite unit to work with them.
Your Excellency, you won Nigeria’s general election to become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by deploying a different strategy, and not doing things the normal way; I am appealing to your office to use the same initiative and move away from the traditional security method adopted in the past. I am pleased that you acknowledged – when I once met with you over a year ago – that there are immense security competence embedded in Nigerians residing abroad who have worked within different security establishments. But it is unfortunate that Nigeria’s security infrastructure have not tapped into these skill-set for positive outcomes.
It is embarrassing that time and time again information given to the military are not being tilized effectively. From Sunday Adoba to other individuals declared wanted by the military; it is clear that there is a communication problem and security agencies need to improve their intelligence gathering structure.
Nigeria Armed Forces, which remains a professional military outfit of great accomplishment, are unfortunately, working outside their security competence. And the more they work outside their traditional area of expertise, the longer they will be embarrassed by failure to deliver.
It is important to highlight that almost all military formations around the world ensure that they work within their area of core competence, which is mainly territorial protection. Therefore, to expect Nigeria Armed Forces to be handling abduction cases is not only absurd but unreasonable. To date, Nigeria Police Force has continued to operate a ‘fire-fighting strategy’ to their operational activities rather than being proactive in their policing by consent, which is responsible for the decline in community confidence and reassurance in safety and security in Nigeria.
Even with the Chibok Girls’ abduction and serious security challenges confronting our educational institutions; there is still no School Security Strategy, and no effort to assign a designated commissioner of police to help prevent recurrence of abduction in many Nigerian schools.
Your Excellency, if the approach adopted in finding the Chibok Girls is not changed; the recovery of the girls would be unsuccessful. Maybe, in another year, we will ‘accidentally’ find one or two girls somewhere within the North-east.
I will strongly recommend that you inject new Nigerian professionals with the right skill-set in this project so that we can get the right outcome. Let a selected few go through all the Presidential Report on the Chibok Girls, and allow the special task-force to work on solutions, supported by the military elite groups.
Finally, the Civilian JTF is a time-bomb waiting to become a big problem. There’s need to setup a Presidential Committee now to examine post-welfare package for these unsung heroes of North-east Nigeria.
God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Yours Sincerely,
Temitope Olodo Esq
Chair, Nigeria Diaspora Security Forum.