A security consultant, Rev Ladi Thompson has given insight into how Nigeria can win the war against terror even as he noted that the present approach of both the government and governed to terrorism is counterproductive.
Thompson who is also the General Overseer of Living Waters Unlimited and founder of Macedonia Initiative made his position known in a recent programme on Channels Television monitored by Church Times.
According to him, the reactions so far by Nigerians and the government to the recent killing of rice farmers by Boko Haram insurgents have been quite emotive. This according to him will not yield the desired result.
He said, “The reactions are highly emotive. We must remember that terrorism is the instrument of weak people who have no direct access to power. The clinical motive of terror is to create fear and panic. What is going on in Nigeria will make the terrorists happy.” He said.
He reasoned that the government needed to expand its consultation chain and engage in more strategic thinking and planning if it really desires to win the war against terror.
The media reporting of terror activities according to him, also needed some professional input noting that the terrorists are happy that they are gaining upper hand, by the way, some of their operations are being portrayed.
Govt should up its game
While noting that the citizens would naturally be emotive in their response, he said, “Government needs to up its game, and become more strategic. Right now, it is dawning on the authority that if things go on the way it is going there will not be a nation called Nigeria in the future. And that is the kind of fear that the terrorists want us to express.” He said
He said, “People who are responding from the government side are making the matters worse. They are making the president look like somebody who is indifferent. I would rather, they urge the president to look at the 2019 security document which he signed and find a way to implement the recommendations.”
While noting that the kind of language deployed by government officials matters, he said calling on the service chiefs to resign will make no difference in the fight against terror.
He said the best the military can achieve in the fight against terror is a 37 percent success because the terror war is not a war they have been trained to fight.
“It will not prosper Nigeria if they continue to play into the hands of the terrorists. It is a global problem. The bottom line is we need more consultation on how to report on terror in such a way that the reporting will put the terrorist at a disadvantage. They want to provoke an irrational reaction. But we must not play into their hands.”
Thompson who has been following the terror trend in Nigeria for well over 20 years said Nigeria is on an expensive learning curve when it comes to dealing with terrorism.
“We are in a very expensive learning curve. Many nations that value knowledge cope faster. They define terrorism in a way that benefits their nation. We need to calm down and clinically assess the situations.”
Terrorism: How to win the war
To win the war, he said “there is need for cohesion among government institutions A nation that is not united can’t win a war against terror. We should not expect a miracle. The military aspect is only between 19-37 percent that is if the military chiefs do what they are trained to do. But a lot of the success depends on intelligence and deconstructing the chain of military command.”
He said further that there is a need to look at food security because the target of the terrorists is to collapse the nation within. One of the areas they look at is to disrupt the food supply. That is why they are attacking farmers. There is now, need for smart agriculture where technology is heavily deployed.”
He suggested also that the deployment of air drone technology will cut down about 60 percent casualty being recorded as a result of the terrorists’ activities.
“Drone technology will cut down 60 percent of the casualty. It will turn the tide of battle. I would have thought Nigeria would have employed this technology. We need to go more on intelligence.”
He warned against the engagement of mercenaries noting that the country is still suffering from the decision to rehabilitate some terrorists.
Thompson also urged people in the affected area to mount a lot of pressure on their representatives in the national assembly to coalesce into a formidable front that has a strong word of advice for the president.
“Instead of making noise, we have to be measured, disciplined, and pile pressure on those who are supposed to take action so the right thing is done,” he said.
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