Federal Government Needs Logistical Help from Overseas: Military Expert
By Segun Onibiyo
(Lagos) Retired Air Commodore Abdullahi Usman, in an exclusive chat with TruthNigeria, specifically urged Nigeria’s federal government to pursue technical and logistical partnerships abroad.
The former Air Force general underscored the critical role of international alliances in addressing insurgencies such as Boko Haram and increasing murders of Southwest farmers by unnamed bandit-terrorists.
“I urge the federal government to seek international partnerships for technical and logistical support to combat the insurgency
Usman framed Nigeria’s stability as a global priority, emphasizing its significance as Africa’s most populous nation: “After all, the peace of Nigeria should be the peace of the world,” he told TruthNigeria.
“Especially now that there is a new administration in the United States under Donald Trump, seeking help in the area of equipment and logistics will go a long way to help in this flight,” he said.
Usman, a security analyst based in Northern Nigeria, also praised regional efforts in tackling terrorism, stating that proactive collaboration will enhance Nigeria’s broader counterterrorism strategy. “This collaborative approach will strengthen Nigeria’s overall fight against terrorism,” he said, referencing coordinated measures taken by local authorities and security agencies.
The uptick in attacks by both named insurgencies and bandit-proxies for insurgents around the nation appears to be sliding into Yorubaland.
Fulani-Ethnic-Militia Kill 5 in Ondo State
Fulani ethnic militia (FEM) attacked the Ajegunle-Powerline community in Ondo State’s Akure County, killing five farmers on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
Witnesses who spoke to The Guardian said the assailants stormed a farmland, fired gunshots in the air, and fatally shot the victims, who were hired laborers.
A farmer, Akin Olowolafe, said such attacks happen regularly without intervention from authorities. “This is how they usually come to disturb and destroy our crops, and we have reported them to the state government and even to the security agencies, but no positive actions were taken by these security agencies.” Attacks like this one began in 2013 in Plateau State and increased in regularity ever since, according to the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa. “The Fulani Ethnic Militia – a loose network of Fulani Islamist militias – are behind at least 39 percent of all civilian killings, and probably more,” according to the ORFA Report.
Ondo police spokesperson CSP Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya confirmed the attack but said the number of casualties had not been verified.
Ethnic Militia Leader Warns Terrorists to Vacate Southwest
Chief Gani Adams, leader of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), a prominent ethnic militia group in Southwest Nigeria, has warned terrorists to vacate the region immediately or face dire consequences.
The warning comes amid growing concerns over escalating massacres of unarmed farmers in the area, with Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State recently raising alarms about the increasing presence of bandit-terrorists. Makinde cited intelligence reports indicating that insurgents were operating near areas he recently visited.
Adams’ warning followed a closed-door meeting with members of the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), leaders of the Amotekun Security Guards (Community Guards), and other Yoruba groups in Ibadan, Oyo State , Southwest of Nigeria.
“We will not allow the state to become a haven for terrorists,” Makinde vowed at a recent interfaith service for state workers in Ibadan. Adams’ warning and Makinde’s vow reflect the growing concern among southwestern Nigerian leaders about the spread of terrorism in the region.
The OPC, established in the mid-1990s as a response to military repression, has evolved into a vigilante group and crime-fighting organization.
Foreigners, Northerners Set Up Over 30,000 Camps In Southwest – OPC Leaders
Media reports have emerged of a significant influx of Northerners and foreigners, suspected to be operatives of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram, into the Southwest Region of Nigeria. Leaders from the region claim that terrorists have established camps in Osun State forests, near Ilesha and Ile Ife, in the southwest state of Nigeria.
According to Waleola Adebamiwi, an aide to Gani Adams, “there is an uneasy calm in the Southwest following the infiltration of the Southwest states by suspected fleeing ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists from the North-central and Northeast.”
Adebamiwi noted that the influx of Northerners into Ilesha and Ile Ife in Osun State is largely due to mining activities in the area. “We have seen camps of over 30,000 Northerners around the Ilesha and Ile Ife forests.”
Similarly, the leader of OPC has accused mining operators in the region of providing cover for the terrorists. He warned that Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters are hiding in the Southwest.
Adam’s revealed that numerous letters have been written to Southwest governors urging collaboration, but these appeals initially fell on deaf ears. However, recent calls for collaboration among governors are finally yielding results.
Southwest Militias Mobilise to Eject Terrorists
Following alarms raised by the Governor of Oyo State and the OPC leader, militia groups such as Amotekun and the Southwest Hunters Association are mobilizing to confront the looming terrorist threat.
Adetunji Adeleye, Leader of Amotekun, stated that a joint security patrol of forests in the Southwest is planned to flush out bandits who have invaded the region. “We are determined to stop the influx and drive away those who have sneaked into the region. The region is not a home for criminals.”
Adeleye assured that Amotekun is expanding operations and recruiting members familiar with the terrain to secure communities. “We know where these terrorists are hiding, and we are ready to act.”
Similarly, the Hunters’ Association in Ogun State has mobilized over 1,000 hunters to patrol forests in the region. The hunters are working in conjunction with Amotekun. “We won’t allow terrorists to replicate what they did, wreaking havoc in other regions,” Adeleye concluded.
Mike Odeh James and Segun Onibiyo are conflict reporters for TruthNigeria.
