Re: Overstretching the military in peace time

Therefore, its editorial of Friday July 19, 2013, with a title “Overstretching the military in peace time,” is an encouraging development on the debate on Civil Military Relations in the face of the current serious security challenges due to acts of criminalities from militants, armed robbers, kidnappers and other sophisticated underworlds.The editorial is a reference […]

Therefore, its editorial of Friday July 19, 2013, with a title “Overstretching the military in peace time,” is an encouraging development on the debate on Civil Military Relations in the face of the current serious security challenges due to acts of criminalities from militants, armed robbers, kidnappers and other sophisticated underworlds.
The editorial is a reference to the appeal made by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki for better cooperation and understandings between Civilians and Military in the ongoing war against insurgencies and militants’ attacks in some part of the country. The NSA at a recently held civil-military dialogue in Abuja, drew attention to the deployment of military personnel to battle insurgency, terrorism and other various forms of criminal conduct that have heightened security demand in Nigeria in the aid of civil authority. The Editorial quoted Dasuki as saying that “while it is the function of the military to assist civilian authority to handle civil disobedience, it is assumed that such rules would be carried out only when the capacity of the police is inadequate to quell the crisis.”
While policing the domestic arena should not be the duty of the military whose training is directed at combating external aggression, I strongly believe that with the kind of sophistication of underworlds whose criminalities have taken unpredictable and unforeseen dimension, it will be foolhardy to consign the security of our lives to a single security apparatus. It is a welcome development the idea of Joint Task Force (JTF) which has participations of police, military and other security agencies working harmoniously to address the multifaceted security challenges.
Though Daily Trust newspaper has genuine concern over the presence of soldiers who it states “should rarely be seen in public in such numbers in peacetime,” I wonder where peace is when armed gangs were virtually and violently attacking public structures, worshipping centre, security formations, private houses and in the process maiming and killing innocent civilians at random. While the Editorial attempted to castigate some military personnel for misconducts, the newspaper answered the poser itself that soldiers “that have committed other misdemeanours are now being taken to court on a regular basis.” This proves that the military has a check-and-balance mechanism to control and punish acts of indiscipline among its personnel.
It is agreeable another issue raised in the editorial that the foray of the military into civil duties may have been forced on it by the inability of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to effectively discharge its duty of combating emerging security challenges that threaten to overwhelm the country.
While the editorial is suggesting the idea of the police taking over our domestic security, an average Nigerian may not be comfortable with idea of assigning the police to tackle criminal gangs and terrorists who are daringly sophisticated with advance weapons. As it is now asking the removal of military from prone areas, is like committing societal hara-kiri or else innocent citizens may become refugees in neighbouring country out of fear. The point is that there is need for better collaboration between civilians and military. The military for instance can provide desirable assistance to civilians wherever they operate, while the civilian populace can reciprocate this in many other ways. Civilians’ vigilance and provision of information enhance the efficiency of the security agencies in the fight against insurgents, terrorists and all other forms of criminality. Local indigenes, youths and vigilantes are actively providing the support through formation of specialised community-based groups. Such groups like the Civilian JTF recently apprehended top Boko Haram members and handed them to the security. Prominent personalities including traditional rulers are now coming out openly to disclaim and condemn activities of the insurgents. There is notable reduction of terrorists’ attacks which in the past were weekly occurrences, especially on the weekends, even outside the prone areas of the North-East.
While we may have reservation on deployment of military in our national life, we must be aware that in other climes, soldiers are involve in construction of roads, building of schools and health centre while still protecting the territorial integrity of their nations. In the modern society soldiers work collaboratively to build strong community partnerships, promote peace in the streets, and advocate changes that will reduce extremism and violent crimes that could not be contained by institutional police force.
Lookman wrote from Abuja<[email protected]>;