Some security experts have lauded the efforts of the military and other security agencies over the successes recorded in tackling the security challenges bedeviling the nation in 2022.
They also commended the renewed synergy and review of strategies among the services and agencies that had changed the narratives against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminals across the country.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, a Security Expert and Secretary, International Institute of Professional Security (IIPS), Mr Abdullahi Jabi, said there were success stories in different fronts during the year compared to what the situation was at the beginning of the year.
Jabi said there were redoubling of efforts coupled with enhanced motivation to the armed forces, as well as development and deployment of new strategies with technology to ensure that the miscreants were dealt with.
He said that the security agencies were able to degrade the capabilities of the enemies of the state psychologically.
“We are all seeing the result because we can see that the level of insecurity is dying down gradually, unlike when they have the field day that at every one hour, there are casualties and disaster.
“It is getting reduced and we give it to them because there is a new drive now. The renewed hope, they have put into the struggle to ensure that both kinetic and non kinetic actions are being used to fight the enemies of the state.
“So far, the war is winnable with what is happening now,” he said.
Jabi called for sustained effort to intensify the aspect of information sharing, intelligent gathering and continue to solicit the cooperation of the civil populace who are closer to the miscreants.
He said that effort should also be made to solve the problem of unemployment by engaging the youths in gainful ventures as well prevent them for taking hard drugs and other substances that make them high to commit this evil.
He called on the government to be more dutiful by encouraging the private sector to be able to create jobs and promote entrepreneurship that would go a long way in preventing youths from getting involved in crimes and criminalities.
On the general elections, the expert urged the military to act within the rules of engagement provided for in the electoral Act 2022 to ensure peaceful conduct of the elections.
On his part, a retired officer and expert in Special Forces Operations, Maj. Daniel Banjo, said the military was able to change the tide against adversaries owing to renewed synergy among the services and other security agencies.
Banjo said the cooperation between the Nigerian army and the air force in recent time had weakened the capabilities of the terrorists and bandits and had given the military upper hand against them.
He said that the later part of the 2022 was better than what it was during the same period in 2021, urging the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, to continue with and improve on the current strategies.
The retired officer advocated for the training of special forces personnel that would have the tactical capability to engage the criminals because of the unconventional nature of the war.
He also called for enhanced intelligence gathering and sharing that would help in identifying the hideouts of the criminals as well as community engagement that would help boost the confidence of the locals to gave useful information about the criminals.
According to him, there must be a way for the people to onpass information to the security agencies without fearing for their lives since one of the main weapons of the terrorist is to instill fears in the populace.
“Criminals are not spirits, they are members of our families and as such individuals have roles to play to support the security agencies in addressing these challenges,” he said.
(NAN)
