NIGERIAN SECURITY THREATENED BY BOKOHARAM

NIGERIAN SOLDIERS FIGHT.

7 million illicit weapons in Nigeria • Why it is difficult to track down rampaging gunmen • Explains why Nigeria Army is intervening in crisis management
A frightening picture of the damage inflicted on Nigeria’s security   by terrorists emerged yesterday after an Army General said the war on the Islamist sect, Boko Haram and similar groups, is over-stretching military resources.
Although, Major General Usman Abdulkadir, Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation, gave no details, the military authorities have had to set up Joint Military Task Forces, first in the Niger Delta, to check terrorism by militants, and now in such Northern states as Plateau, Borno and Kano in the face of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Personnel, money, vehicles and weapons that could have been put into better use have had to be diverted to solve the security challenge posed by the Niger Delta and Northern terrorists.
General Abdulkadir, who spoke at a Ramadan lecture of the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN) in Abuja, said an estimated seven million assorted illicit weapons are in circulation in Nigeria.
That works out at 70 per cent of the 10 million of such weapons in the West African sub-region alone or seven per cent of the total of 100million in Sub-Sahara Africa.
More than half of illegal weapons-3.5miilion-are said to be in the hands of non-state actors and criminals.
Of no less concern   is the absence of structures to track down and investigate the brains behind killings and bombings in the country.
 Gen. Abdulkadir said: “Investigations can be difficult because the structures to make investigating more accurate are largely lacking. Means of identification of criminals and foreigners are tricky because most Nigerians don’t have passports, national identification cards, social security numbers or drivers’ licences.
“There are also no reliable data banks for forensic investigations like DNA profiles and fingerprints. These issues make it difficult to track down criminals or perpetrators and even when caught, no expedient procedures and laws to bring them to justice.”
He also faulted lack of coordination among security agencies mandated to quell violence in the country,saying:”One of the major problems with internal security operations is coordination among the various agencies involved.
He stated: “Most agencies pay more allegiance to their respective services to the detriment of the operation they are supporting.
“Therefore, most internal security operations in Nigeria become problematic to manage and coordinate while synergy is lost.”
Abdulkadir expressed concern that the crises in the country are stretching military resources.
“The managing of internal security in Nigeria poses challenges for the security agencies in several ways. Nigeria has several pockets of crises that are beyond the Nigeria Police.
“The result is that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is deployed to several parts of the country at the same time, thereby over-stretching military resources. In addition, the Armed Forces of Nigeria is saddled with the roles of meeting Nigeria’s international obligations in peacekeeping, which worsens the situation.”
On proliferation of arms, he said: “Out of approximately 500million illicit weapons in circulation worldwide in 2004, it was estimated that about 100 million are in Sub-Saharan Africa, with eight to 10million concentrated in the West African sub-region.
“Regrettably, more than half of these Small Arms and Light Weapons(SALW) are in the hands of non-state actors and criminal groups. Nigeria is both a producer and consumer in the West African sub-region.
“Although it is difficult to determine the exact quantity of illegal SALWEEN circulating within or penetrating into Nigeria, it is estimated that over 70 per cent of about eight to 10 million illegal weapons in West Africa are in Nigeria.
“The access to SALW makes criminals and militants to be bolder when facing security agents, making it more difficult to combat them. It also astronomically increases the levels of casualties and destruction that could be visited on the populace.”
Abdulkadir admitted that the high-level of insecurity is causing a decline in the confidence that Nigerians have in political leadership.
He added: “The present situation has also bred an atmosphere of political insecurity, instability, including declining confidence in the political leadership and apprehension about the system.
“Invariably, continuing escalation of violence and crises across the country interrupts the survival of democracy.”
The Army General advised politicians against sponsoring violence or exploiting ethno-religious differences to cause mayhem in the country.
He said if Nigeria is on fire, it could consume those  behind it.