Nigeria: A Nation At War With Itself

In a tragic turn of events, sixteen Nigerian soldiers on Thursday, March 14th, met their untimely demise during a mission aimed at quelling clashes between two communities in Delta State.

Deployed to the strife-ridden Okuoma community in the Bomadi region, troops from the 18th Battalion found themselves in the line of fire.

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Brigadier General Tukur Gusau’s statement recounted the harrowing details: “The reinforcement team led by the commanding officer was also attacked, leading to the death of the commanding officer, two majors, one captain, and twelve soldiers.

Sixteen gallant soldiers and officers were killed in one fell swoop by unknown assailants!

Nigeria, a land of abundant resources and boundless potential, grapples with sharp contradiction

Despite being trained to safeguard our territorial integrity, our valiant soldiers have been thrust into roles far beyond their original mandate, often embarking on missions from which they may never return.

It’s a perplexing paradox where soldiers, trained for specific duties, are increasingly thrust onto the front lines of defense against a myriad of security challenges.

This overreliance on the military for tasks outside their purview exposes a fundamental flaw in our approach to security.

Instead of addressing root causes and implementing sustainable solutions, Nigeria government often resorts to stopgap measures, needlessly burdening our already overwhelmed armed forces.

In an ideal scenario, soldiers focus solely on protecting our territorial integrity. Yet, we’ve strayed from this path, expecting them to confront a wide array of internal conflicts and crises.

At each juncture of Nigeria’s mounting security challenges—be it the heart-wrenching tales of kidnapping, the audacious exploits of bandits, or the unsettling clashes between farmers and herders—soldiers have gallantly risen to the occasion.

A weak Police force has played a significant role in leading us to this sorry state; the ramifications of this weakness extending to the Nigerian Army can best be imagined.

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To stem this tide once and for all, the government must respond decisively. Ours is a nation with a long list of unfinished investigations. However, this unfortunate incident must not be swept under the carpet.

The perpetrators of this heinous act must face swift and severe justice. Only then can the government forestall retaliatory attacks from the military, honour the memory of those who have bravely served our nation, and restore faith in our law enforcement agencies.

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