How military life impacted my writing on security – Ogwuche

Lt. Col. Abubakar Sadiq Ogwuche (Rtd.) has authored 11 books with the most recent titled ‘Safety and Security Awareness in Modern Nigeria.’ Here, the author of ‘Compendium of Life and Death: A Guide to the Straight Path’ and ‘Compendium of Laws Under the Nigerian Legal System’ explains his reasons for writing his latest work, its […]

Lt. Col. Abubakar Sadiq Ogwuche (Rtd.) has authored 11 books with the most recent titled ‘Safety and Security Awareness in Modern Nigeria.’ Here, the author of ‘Compendium of Life and Death: A Guide to the Straight Path’ and ‘Compendium of Laws Under the Nigerian Legal System’ explains his reasons for writing his latest work, its challenges and more. Excerpts:

Bookshelf: Why did you decide to write a book on safety and security awareness?

Abubakar Sadiq Ogwuche: The challenges in Nigeria motivated me to write this particular book in order to create awareness and educate the populace. I believe security is not only the responsibility of the government. It is the responsibility of all of us. If we come together to really appreciate the need for a collective effort in terms of security, I think we will go a long way. Given my background as a military officer I decided to write the book at this material time. It reflects the state of insecurity in the country, conflicts like the herdsmen/farmers crises, kidnapping and hostage taking, cultism, insecurity on campuses and travel insecurity.

Bookshelf: How were you able to cover all these areas? What did your research work involve?

Ogwuche: It took me about two to three years to complete my research. We had field research that involved going to strategic places to collect materials and interview people. We also did desk research. We carried out research in Maiduguri and Kaduna. I teach at Nigeria Defense Academy (NDA), so I interviewed some of my students. I also talked with some security practitioners in Abuja, particularly the military officers, SSS, SARS and even the NIA (National Intelligence Agency) officers. It is a well-researched book that took almost three years to complete.

Bookshelf: How would you say you were able to draw on your experience as a retired military officer to write this book?

Ogwuche: I am not only a retired military officer. I am a retired Nigerian Military Intelligence Corps, the body solely responsible for security and intelligence in the Nigerian military as a whole. Given that background, I think I have a vast knowledge that enabled me write the book bearing in mind that I have spent almost 27 to 30 years in the military intelligence alone.

Bookshelf: When you were in the thick of military life, did you feel the need to write about security at that point?

Ogwuche: No, I didn’t know as at then that I would end up writing anything. It was after I left the military that I felt the need to write and leave a legacy for the younger ones. When I look at Nigeria, it bothers me because we didn’t have these security challenges before. Why are we having them now and what is the best way I as an individual can contribute to the elimination of the problem? That is the major motivator for the writing of this book. The motivator is the recent security challenges and the fact that, given my military background, I know security is not a one-man’s business but a collective effort. Until we realize this, we will not move forward.

Bookshelf: How confident are you that some of the solutions you have proffered in your book will work?

Ogwuche: It is difficult to say, but I am confident in some of the solutions. The House of Representative bought 50 copies although the book hasn’t been launched yet. The SSS, the military, Defense College, and NIA also bought some copies. I sent a copy to the Vice President which was acknowledged. I also sent some to the prisons and Chief of Staff. So, if they have time to read the book, they will find some tips useful.

Bookshelf: Pertaining to the herdsmen and farmers conflict, you wrote about what you described as the blame game along political party lines. How much do you think this is affecting the resolution of the crisis?

Ogwuche: The crisis is not as huge as it is painted to be. I believe that if there is no political coloration, the problem will be solved. For example, in Benue State the Fulani and farmers have lived together for many years without crisis of any kind. I know the resources are strictly in terms of land space, but if it was properly coordinated by the state government, this problem will not have escalated to this point as we all see it. That is why I suggested that they get the farmers and herdsmen together and find out what the problem is. The Tiv man and Fulani have lived together without any collision. So, I think they should separate the political element from it and tackle the problem.

Bookshelf: With the increased proliferation of firearms, do you think Nigerians should be allowed to arm themselves for self-defense?

Ogwuche: I don’t think we are that mature yet. It is dangerous for an individual to possess arms if he is not trained on how to use it. They could be careless and leave it around for their children to play with. In that case, there could be fatalities.  If one is trained, I think it would be okay to carry a firearm provided you are licensed. The law is pretty clear about how to carry arms in Nigeria.

Bookshelf: You mentioned intelligence gathering as a strong tool to fighting criminality. Some Nigerians believe security agents have a hand in the rise of criminal activities in the nation, particularly as kidnappers have proven to be unstoppable so far. How do you think the military, police and other security agents can checkmate the bad eggs amongst themselves?

Ogwuche: In any society and system, there will always be bad eggs. In checkmating this, we should start from the recruitment process. We should do background checks on recruits before we give them uniforms to wear. It is called vetting. Vet his background and see if he is really capable or trustworthy enough to be in the system. You shouldn’t stop there but also do a kind of in-house check on those in the force already. For example, in the military, if a solider is always asking for pass, you should investigate him to know the reason. It is possible he wants to engage in criminal activities that are off the record. This applies to the police. If you issue ammunition for an operation, there is need to check when they get back to know if they are complete or not. If the ammunition is not complete, they have to account for it. There are some in-house check measures that can flush out the bad eggs.

Bookshelf: Like it is done in developed countries, shouldn’t there be an internal body that investigates such bad eggs?

Ogwuche: The military intelligence and police are empowered to investigate questionable characters.

Bookshelf: What would you say was most challenging in your writing process? How were you able to juggle your day job as a lecturer at NDA, Kaduna and your writing?

Ogwuche: Most times I didn’t sleep until 2am. The wee hours afforded me the quiet and inspiration I needed to write the book. So, the only challenge I had was the time I needed to write the book.

Also, I teach, so it wasn’t a problem for me because it was almost the same thing. I had more time to write my book in the evenings than the afternoons.

Bookshelf: You have attended many intelligence and security management courses in Nigeria, United Kingdom and the United States. How has this shaped your understanding of Nigerian security challenges and the way out?

Ogwuche: One of the gains of attending those courses is also reflected in this book. If I had not attended those courses, I would not have had a thorough understanding of some of the challenges. The security measures are not so different from what we have here, although they are more advanced. So, I incorporated some of the ideas in their system into the book. Attending those courses gave me the professional expertise to proffer solutions. It also enhanced my understanding of the security challenges in Nigeria.

Bookshelf: What advice do you have for Nigerians, civilians and security agents alike?

Ogwuche: My advice to Nigerians is that we should take security personally. We know the police and military are there to protect us, but individually we should also play our role in keeping Nigeria safe. For example, if you live in a community you should know your neighbors. If you go out strolling in the evening and you see a strange face you are sure is not a member of your community there is a need to challenge him. As an individual, if you see anything unusual you need to report to the right authorities. As for the security agents, there is a need for adequate training. But you do not see that happening in Nigeria now. There is also a need for discipline within the system which is not as strong as it used to be. They are doing their best but I think they need to do more in terms of training, staffing and funding.