INSECURITY IN (NORTHERN) NIGERIA:
THE TIME FOR PMC WAS YESTERDAY
Samuel Enyi Otsapa
Samuelotsapa@gmail.com
08038127832
080547886
It is no gainsaying that insecurity in Nigeria, particularly and especially in the northern region of the country, is continuing and rising inspite of the daily promises by the current administration to them; tackle terrorism, banditry, kidnappings and armed robberies. Although President Muhammadu Buhari finally bowed to pressures to replace the Service Chiefs, the new ones have not been able to change the sad narrative of rising insecurity across Nigeria seeing that of late, there has been massive abductions and kidnappings of school children and motorists in Niger, Katsina and Zamfara states. Recall that one of the main factors that led to president Goodluck Jonathan losing reelection in 2015 was the 2014 abduction of 276 school girls from their school in Chibok, Borno State. That sad event, hashtagged #BringBackOurGirls, made Nigerians to vote in General Muhammadu Buhari believing that as a retired army officer and former military head of state, he has the experience and know-how to improve security in the country but so far, this has not happened.
In the last few days and weeks, we are all witnesses to the attacks by Boko Haram in Borno State that saw the murderous sect take over Marte LGA and Dikwa town. We are also witnesses to the seemingly unrestrained prowess of armed bandits and armed pastoralists who daily attack, maim and murder Nigerians with reckless abandon. From Kaduna to Niger, from Ondo to Oyo and from Katsina to Zamfara, bandits, kidnappers and armed pastoralists are having a field day molesting, abducting, kidnapping and killing both Nigerians and foreigners, such that it seems the government and the security agencies can no longer contain and proactively deter their attacks. While we recognize that the government and officers and men of the military, police and the Department of state security (DSS) are doing their best, we must now also embrace the truth that their best has not been good enough and so there is the need for tactical and strategic changes – because it is unwise to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different (favorable) result.
In his assessment of the security situation in Nigeria, particularly on the capture of Dikwa town in Borno State, by Boko Haram terrorists, Dr. Khalifa Dikwa wrote that:
“How could BH burn houses, abducted humanitarian aid workers if they had not allowed BH to surprise them? The story doesn’t add up. Troops must concentrate on their main duty and change tactics as I advised some of the Generals. Dikwa attack and acts of arson and theft of the remnants of food items earlier distributed by the state officials under the selfless caring and brave Gov of Borno state Prof BG Zulum in Dikwa as done at Ngala and Marté LGAs. It is not true that Boko Haram fighters were repelled. in fact the war should be taken to BH, ie offensive rather than defensive like most of time for over 11 years, as if some commanders don’t want the BH to end for personal and politicised reasons. Our troops must not wait to be attacked to repel like before. it must end with collaboration among all the defence and service including the Police, with swift sharing and use of reports by the intelligence services of the military, police and DSS. If they are in need of additional hands, there is nothing wrong in inviting non-state actors like civilian JTF, hunters and handsomely paid private forces from outside, as well as forces from the neighbouring countries, particularly Niger and Chad “.
Some weeks ago, particularly after the slaughtering of 43 rice farmers by Boko Haram in Borno State, the Governor of the state; Professor Babagana Umara Zulum called on the federal government to hire “mercenaries” to help the country fight the insurgents and terrorists. After he made this suggestion, Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State and some security analysts have also asked the government to look the way of bringing in paid private forces to help the country fight the terrorists – and also the armed pastoralists and armed bandits. This recommendation by Governor Umara Zulum must be because the man is increasingly becoming overwhelmed by the continuing and rising attacks on his people by the insurgents. While Boko Haram has made more than three assassination attempts on his life, Governor Umara Zulum has not, since 2014, been able to visit his home town of Zulum in Mongonu LGA. Folks, this is the current situation of terrorism and insurgency in our dear country and it is time we rethink the war strategy. If a state governor who is entitled to 24 hours protection by security officers is unable to go to his own hometown, what is the fate of the ordinary Borno state citizen?
In rethinking our security strategy, the government and the security agencies must fully embrace the reality that terrorism anywhere in the world is never a conventional warfare – and so Nigeria is unlikely to win it using her conventional army tactics, strategy and men. Terrorism and insurgency – and even armed banditry, are asymmetrical in nature and so the federal government of Nigeria, who is tasked with the responsibility of protecting Nigeria and Nigerians from foreign aggression and local insurrection, must now begin to seriously consider the option of bringing in “mercenaries” to help her prosecute the war against the enemies of the country. One of the main benefits of mercenaries is that unlike the Nigerian army soldiers, they would be on the offensive by going out with a blitzkreig to the camps of the terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and armed pastoralists. Before the 2015 general election, the Goodluck Jonathan government brought in security contractors working for STTEP International who helped clear Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast which allowed the elections to hold. Recall that the election was postponed because of insecurity. It was STTEP soldiers, and not the Nigerian military, who took the war to Boko Haram, killed and scattered them and made it possible for the election to hold in the country.
It is important to point out that referring to these private soldiers as “mercenaries” is now considered outdated and derogatory as they now prefer to be called PMCs; Private Military Contractors. PMCs are private companies providing armed combat or security services for financial gain with their staff members called security contractors. PMCs are like any other private business company: profit making is at the core of their activities. At the peak of the United States intervention in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan, most of the soldiers who fought for the USA were PMC security contractors who are usually the best of retired but not tired former national conventional soldiers from different countries. Many retired US Navy Seals are now private soldiers/contractors working for one PMC or the other. Even China and big private Chinese business concerns hires PMCs in their local and international (military) adventures.
In a 2008 study carried out by the Office of the US Director of National Intelligence, we know that PMCs and security contractors make up 29% of the workforce in the United States Intelligence Community costing the country 49% of it’s personnel budgets. In Afghanistan, the US once had more than 160,000 security contractors fighting it’s battle there. Now, if a developed country like the USA with an obviously better trained and well-equipped military officers and having high-tech security and intelligence gathering gadgets, network and systems consistently hires and makes use of PMCs and security contractors, Nigeria must now begin to work towards bringing them in particularly now that insecurity is rising in every area of the country, especially the north.
There are about 30 PMCs in the world with some of the most notable and credible ones being: Academi, G4S, Aegis Defence Service, Extreme Outcomes, Military Professional Resources Inc, Black Water USA, SCG International Air, AirScan, Frontier Services Group (FSG), Omega Security Solutions, AQMI Strategy Corp, etc. Security contractors working for these PMCs are nationals of different countries, including Nigerians – and like conventional workplaces, they are hired based on their CV showing experience, professionalism and expertise – and this makes them more qualified soldiers to help the country fight Boko Haram and other enemies of Nigeria. What security contractors lack in patriotism to a country, they cover up with expertise and professionalism. They do not have to love Nigeria but they are capable of helping us end the Boko Haram onslaught.
In this moment of rising insecurity across Nigeria, the federal government and the nation’s security chiefs must put their individual and group ego aside and acknowledge the truth which is that we need the help of PMCs in the fight against Boko Haram terrorists and other enemies of the country and people of Nigeria. PMCs and security contractors are what we need in this moment because unlike Nigerian soldiers, these men (and women) are specially trained and fully equipped for this purpose. That is, they are merchants of war who are handsomely paid to fight. Fighting is their main means of livelihood and so they know that they cannot afford to be lacklustre while doing so – because they must win in a place for them to get other fighting contracts in other troubled places and countries. Thus, their pedigree and ‘bragging rights’ is hanged on how effective, efficient and successful they are with wars.
Do we remember the recent reports of how American soldiers surreptitiously entered Nigeria and rescued an American who was kidnapped by Nigerien kidnappers in Niger and brought into Nigerian territory for safekeeping? While most of us applauded the US government and it’s army for that smooth operation, it may interest us to know that the soldiers who carried out that rescue mission were not officially members of the US Army. They are security contractors working for the US government. In an always fighting world, the need and importance of PMCs have been embraced in more than 50 countries because they are rarely emotional in their operations and when they are killed in combat, it is the hiring country that grieves. PMCs and security contractors are now so common such that for every 10 conventional military personnel, there is one PMC worker. Nigeria must now begin to look their way in her quest to arrest the deteriorating security situation in the country.
