Terrorism And General Musa’s Strategy

The Nigerian military has been spinning its way in and out of the murderous mess created by Boko Haram terrorists in the last turbulent and traumatic 15 years. Regrettably, the bloodlust beasts are now imbued with a new strain of the mesada complex and have determined to recruit the last Almajiri in the 19 Northern states to keep fighting until the last man falls off the cliff, rather than surrender or moderate their point of view.

In their psychosis of belligerence and terror, there is no stopping them wholesale, except through a combination of cain and carrot methodology, which the military leadership is presently exploring because of the perilous state of affairs in the 19 Northern states and in the country at large. The call to the military to think anew is overwhelmingly overdue because while Kenya was boiling in faraway East Africa—Israel was pounding Gaza mercilessly and Ukraine was bleeding from Russian drawn daggers—there was internal insurrection in Nigeria, organized by some groups under the aegis of #EndBadGovernace. 

The reactions and responses from the nation’s security architecture followed the familiar partner of suppressing agitations for equitable society and reduction of essential commodities with brute force, as if boot on the ground and gun at hand are all there is to security and national stability. Such kamikaze approach to taiming national uprising is a sign of a nation in distress. That’s why General Christopher Gwabin Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), new found strategy is unparalleled and legendary. Nigeria must put its act together as the greatest conglomeration of black souls. 

Here is why General Musa’s strategic approach to addressing Nigeria’s insecurity challenges, namely, banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and endemic illiteracy, is truly commendable. By recognizing that military force alone cannot solve these issues, General Musa is taking a holistic approach to national security challenges. His meeting with 19 Northern States Governors and all the Emirs and Royal Fathers is a significant step towards fostering cooperation between leaders and promoting community engagement.

In the thinking of General Musa, there’s opportunity in every crisis and going back to the drawing board in order to come up with acceptable solutions and fatality free standoffs has been the preoccupation of military generals, who are made of sterner stuff in global reckoning. Sun Tzu, a Chinese military strategist and philosopher who wrote in his iconic book “The Art of War” said, “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Or, more specifically, he wrote, “The best victory is when the opponent surrenders without fighting.”

In the epic work in Chapter 3, “Strategic Alliances,” Sun Tzu’s philosophy emphasizes the importance of strategy, diplomacy, and psychological warfare over brute force. He argued that the most effective wars are those won through cunning, deception, and manipulation rather than bloodshed.

Other notable military leaders who shared similar sentiments include Carl von Clausewitz, who wrote that “the greatest triumph of strategy is to win without fighting.” Ditto George S. Patton who opined that “the most important thing in war is not to die for your country, but to make the other guy die for his,” and Dwight D. Eisenhower also averred that “I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.”

The Defence Chief’s multi-faceted strategy of addressing root causes of terrorism by identifying and tackling underlying factors contributing to insecurity and social unrest, fostering community engagement, encouraging collaboration between security forces and local communities, promoting economic development, encouraging enhanced literacy, and supporting initiatives that address poverty and unemployment will ultimately douse general hostility against the state. 

There’s utmost certainty that the involvement of all critical stakeholders, like the emirs, Imams and other religious leaders, youth groups and civil rights organizations, will yield fruits. This comprehensive approach is expected to yield significant benefits, barring other circumstances. Their involvement would encourage improved intelligence sharing, enhanced coordination between security agencies and local leaders, increased trust, and strengthened relationships between the military and civilian populations. 

This context-specific strategy tailored to addressing national security challenges is within the competence of General Musa’s illustrious career – spanning over three decades – which equipped him with the expertise needed to tackle these complex security issues. His experience as Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps and Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai will undoubtedly inform his approach. By adopting a similar approach, General Musa demonstrates his dedication to finding lasting solutions to Nigeria’s complex security issues.

The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy also emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive approach to addressing terrorism, highlighting four pillars, namely: measures to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism; measures to prevent and combat terrorism; measures to build states’ capacity to prevent and combat terrorism; and measures to ensure respect for human rights for all and the rule of law. Significantly, in combating terrorism, efforts should be made to strengthen law enforcement and judicial capabilities, expand aviation and border security, deepen global information sharing, counter terrorist financing, improve crisis response, and counter violent extremism.  

General Musa should be encouraged by the powers that be to continue to promote greater burden sharing to address terrorist threats and encourage countries within West Africa to build counterterrorism capacity in their own regions. The State Department, for instance, in the United States, works closely with the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, Treasury, and the Intelligence Community to lead an integrated whole-of-government approach to international counterterrorism.

There is no other time than now for the presidency to vigorously align itself with the bold initiatives being powered assiduously by General Musa and his able team. To defeat terrorism, there is no substitute except via thoroughly coordinated strategies and approaches with the cooperation of international partners.

Erasmus Ikhide contributed this piece via trojan.newsng@gmail.com

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