Insecurity: Nigerians Serving As Informants To Terrorists, Bandits, Group Alleges

…Calls For Aggressive Recruitment Of Policemen

Some Nigerians are sabotaging the war against insurgency and other criminal activities by giving out information to terrorists and bandits against troops, a group, Citizens’ Initiative for Security Awareness (CISA) has alleged.

The National Coordinator of CISA, Chidi Omeje, stated this on Sunday at a news conference.

Omeje claimed that residents in some parts of the Northeast are leaking information on troops movements and positions to the criminals.

“What could be more horrendous than sabotaging their efforts by leaking their movement or position to terrorists or bandits? That is terrible, unpatriotic and counter-productive. Politicians should be more concerned about this and and find a way to drum up support for our security forces from their constituents”, Omeje said.

The coordinator also alerted to plots by “unpatriotic politicians and mischievous interest groups” to undermine national security through propaganda aimed at dampening the morale of troops on the battlefields.

He lamented that security forces who sacrifice their lives for the peace of the nation are made to bear sustained media vilification planned by some politicians and interest groups. 

“To this set of Nigerians, not even matters of national security or the corporate existence of the country, can be spared their negative politics or religious bigotry. This unacceptable trend has gone on for far too long to the embarrassment of ordinary Nigerian citizens who truly appreciate the huge sacrifices and fighting spirit of the Nigerian security forces”, he said.

Omeje stressed that the Nigerian security forces must be insulated from the malaise of negative politics ravaging the land, adding that politicians must desist from wearing out soldiers with their “divisive, incisive and insensitive pronouncements.”

The coordinator noted that Nigeria has remained a united nation on account of the resilience, commitment, loyalty and sacrifice of the security forces.

“When the blood-thirsty Boko Haram terrorist group began its brutal violent campaign against innocent Nigerians, the Nigerian security agencies led by the Armed Forces gallantly rose in defence of the people. 

“Their gallantry, as we sadly note, has not been without a huge price: a number of soldiers have paid the supreme price, many others have lost their limbs or have been maimed for life, young families of military personnel have been thrown into mourning and sorrow; many more soldiers are still in harm’s way, doing all they could to defend and protect us from those who seek to destroy us”, he said.

Omeje stated further, “Let us not distract our troops, let’s give them the support, if they have the morale, they’ll perform optimally”, he urged.

According to him, what the military and all other agencies need is “unconditional public solidarity and unflinching support” to boost their morale.

Omeje also said the government can make the work of the military easy by recruiting aggressively, more policemen to support troops in tackling insecurity. 

He noted that the Nigerian troops are currently overwhelmed and the police grossly understaffed.

“Aggressive recruitment of more policemen can suppott the military take out criminals and their sponsors. Nigerian police can’t contain the type of criminality we have in Nigeria”, he said.

He added, ” We need the police to be equipped and much more populated. We have about 400,000 police force for a country of 200 million. I believe we should have at least 1 million police men.

He also noted that recruiting more policemen will address the problem of unemployment among Nigerian youths.

Recall that Governor Babagana Zulum’s convoy was on July 29th attacked by suspected Boko Haram terrorists while on a trip to Monguno and Baga towns to distribute food to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

He had subsequently accused the military of sabotage in the attack on his convoy.

While addressing journalists in Monguno after the incident, Zulum said: “As far as I am concerned, what happened in Baga is a complete sabotage by the military. There is no Boko Haram in Baga.

“I wonder, we have over 1181 soldiers in Baga, 72 officers; 400 soldiers in Mile 4 and 1900 soldiers in Monguno. I see no reason why only five Boko Haram men will stop them from occupying Baga town”.