Lt. Col. Abu-Ali: Matchless war icon of our time

There is nothing that has not been said about the legendary Lt. Col. Mohammed Abu-Ali, who was killed by Boko Haram on Nov. 4 at Malam Fatori in the Northern part of Borno State. Within the first week of his death, Nigerians from across the divide kept sentiments aside and paid glowing tribute to the […]

There is nothing that has not been said about the legendary Lt. Col. Mohammed Abu-Ali, who was killed by Boko Haram on Nov. 4 at Malam Fatori in the Northern part of Borno State. Within the first week of his death, Nigerians from across the divide kept sentiments aside and paid glowing tribute to the 36-year-old army officer, who was deployed to the volatile North-East at the height of the then-raging insurgency. For those of us who were in Borno State at the height of the crisis, especially around 2013 onward, we still remember a time when both civilians and security operatives were running helter-skelter, looking for escape when it was evident that the insurgents were armed to the teeth and ready to kill anyone.

And when the insurgents, led by Abubakar Shekau, launched a sustained and elaborate territorial conquest from  2014, the terrain was not in any way safe and therefore, the wealthy, notable politicians and even the locals who had families,  friends and acquaintances elsewhere fled Borno and environs, in droves. In the same vein, hundreds of security operatives, including soldiers, police, customs and immigrations officers either ‘worked’ for transfers to safer locations or simply absconded without a trace. Several others on postings outside the North-East resigned when they received their letters of transfer to Borno, Yobe or Adamawa when it was evident they could not do anything to change the decision.

There were others, especially senior military officers, who used their influence or that of their parents, to remain far from the theatre of war, even when it was evident that their presence was necessary. However, there were others who accepted their postings to the North-East with enthusiasm even when they fully knew the dangers inherent in the mission. One of them was the late Lt. Col. Mohammed Abu Ali, the fearless military officer, popularly known as ‘Slim’ among his colleagues or Sarkin Yaki (the War-Lord) by his subordinates.

It was gathered that at the time of his deployment, many of his contemporaries that were asked to go the war front tactically reneged for fear of the unknown. Of course, he too, had all the privileges of distancing himself from the war front but restraint, probably because he wasn’t in the military for the fun of it, but was in voyage based on conviction and answering a call to national service. As the son of a former military administrator, Brig-Gen. Abu-Ali (Rtd), who is now a First Class traditional ruler in Kogi State, late Lt. Col. Mohammed Abu Ali surmounted the odds and moved to the warfront. He equally refused be carried away by the silver spoon life, never fleeing the frontlines till the day he was killed. One of his unique qualities was that he was gallant like no other. He was a military officer conscious of his responsibilities, his allegiance to his fatherland and above all the mastery of his job. He was among the leading officers that set the pace for the elaborate reclaiming of large swathes of territories hitherto captured by Shekau in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa State.

Beside his bravery in the battle front, late Mohammed Abu Ali had an edge over his contemporaries because of his mastery in manipulating the T-72 armoured car which terrified and demystified the Boko Haram’s initial edge ahead of Nigerian security forces. Those who worked with him said he mounted and operated the vicious armoured fighter with passion and had the knowledge of its workability at his fingertips at the time it was deployed to the North-East. The T-72 is a Soviet second-generation main battle tank that entered production in 1971, making it one of the most widely produced post-World War II tanks, second only to the T-54/55 family.

Only those who were in Borno at the height of the Boko Haram’s inglorious territorial conquest that would understand, appreciate and then lament the exit of Lt. Col. Abu Ali.

But with his mastery of the war machine, late Lt. Col. Mohammed Abu Ali led several offensives beginning from Adamawa State before he was posted to Borno. One of his major exploits was the reclaiming of Baga and Monguno  in Northern Borno which were earlier captured by the Boko Haram. In recognition of his bravery and steadfastness to the cause of Nigeria, was promoted from the rank of a Major of the Nigerian Army to Lt. Col. in Sept. 2015. His was a life, full of gallantry, sacrifice and love for Nigeria. Quiet, considerate, compassionate and caring, leading by example was his trademark at the height of confrontation with Boko Haram terrorists. He traversed the North, Central and Southern parts of Borno State endlessly and tirelessly; demystified the terrorists, recovered towns and liberated villages.

The deceased reportedly cleared countless landmines that dotted Borno’s porous borders with Chad, Cameroon and Niger, clearing paths for our dear soldiers, who rescued the weak, the young, and the old from the clutches of Boko Haram. Described as a lion, late Ali never retreated, or relented, or compromised the life of the soldiers under his command. His short but eventful life will never be forgotten in the annals of Nigerian history. He came, he saw, he conquered and cleared the ruins for the next generation. His life was akin to that of late General Mamman Shuwa (equally killed by BH in cold blood while in retirement), who fought the Civil War in the 60s.

At the time of his death, he was the Commanding Officer of the 272 Task Force Battalion at Mallam Fatori in Northern Borno State. Till date, Mallam Fatori is one of the hard-to-reach locations in Borno State because of desert land, and undefined roads. I remember that in 2013, we had to be led by the locals to traverse Mallam Fatori’s difficult terrain on our way to nearby Bosso in Niger Republic to see  Borno people taking refuge there. That was the environment within which late Lt. Col. Mohammed Abu Ali lived, safeguarding Nigeria’s territory till he breathed his last.

Born on the 15th of August, 1980 in Lagos State, he attended Army Children’s School in Maiduguri and later on joined Command Secondary School, Jos. He joined the Nigeria Defence Academy in 1998 and became a commissioned officer in 2003. he left behind his wife, three children and his parents. It was gathered that he was  about to be deployed to Sambisa Forest before he was brutally killed.

The outpouring of tributes to late Mohammed Abu-Ali from the Presidency, the military high command, the National Assembly and other institutions was never seen before, despite the fact that several senior and junior officers lost their lives in the war on terror in Nigeria, which has so far claimed over 30,000 lives. Social media was literally taken over by photos, updates, poems and other condolence memoirs of the life of the great army officer. Sources close to the deceased and even the locals in Borno believe that late Lt. Col. Abu-Ali deserves nothing less, because of his bravery and patriotism. He, indeed, is an icon worthy not only of mourning, but also of celebration. May Allah SWT grant him Paradise, and give his family the fortitude to bear the loss.