Insecurity in Northwest region compounded by banditry, illegal mining – Lagbaja

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, says the insecurity plaguing the Northwest region of the country is exacerbated by the nefarious activities of criminal groups engaging in illegal mining, banditry, cattle rustling, and other illicit pursuits.

He said their activities had led to the destruction of life and means of livelihood.

Lagbaja, represented by Maj.-Gen. Benson Sijen, the Chief of Operations of the Nigerian Army, made the remarks at the opening of a three-day retreat for current and former commanders in the Northwest region held in Abuja on Monday.

He expressed frustration that the Army’s efforts to combat these criminal elements have not yielded the desired results, as they persist in wreaking havoc in the Northwest and beyond.

Lagbaja said: “The current security challenges the nation is facing are volatile, complex, and fluid and vary from one zone to another.

“In the Northwest, the security situation is made complex and persistent by the activities of non-state actors who engage in banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, illegal mining, and violent attacks leading to the destruction of life and means of livelihood.

“The activities of these non-state actors have continued to impact the security environment in the Northwest region and, by extension, in our country despite efforts to curb the trend by the Nigerian army, sister services, and other government departments and agencies.”

Lagbaja emphasized that to effectively address the insecurity in the North West region, the army must conduct a thorough assessment of the situation and adopt a proactive approach, staying one step ahead of the criminal elements.

He said: “Surmounting insecurity in the North West region needs a periodic review of the situation, which in turn will allow us to truly understand the generality and specifics for seamless planning and executing of operations.

“The threats, as I mentioned, are always fluid and evolving, thus requiring us to quickly adapt for us to be at least a step ahead of the adversary.

“This retreat has provided a unique opportunity for us to review the situation in the North West by brainstorming for the next three days to arrive at potent solutions.”

The Director General of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, retired Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab, said that though the military can’t solve all the problems, it should provide the enabling environment for other political focus.

He said: “As I mentioned, the military cannot solve the issue completely, but it should provide an enabling environment for other political focus.

“And that is the essence of why we are running the three-day retreat of past commanders and present troops who have served in the north-western geopolitical zone.

“For them to come up with the issues, operationally, logistical-wise, administrative-wise, and then their relationship with others so that we can find truth and find out, improving on what is happening right now.”