Military and Growing ‘Dog Eat Dog’ Syndrome – Saturday Review – The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

• Three soldiers are subject to military discipline amid the retired general’s request for enhanced training

The recent increase in the number of soldiers opening fire on each other has raised concerns about the declining state of discipline in the army. ODITA SUNDAY writes that this trend is not only alarming, but also has significant implications for how the armed forces are viewed by citizens, as well as the effectiveness and cohesion of the military as an institution.

A worrying rise in fratricidal attacks has hit the military, with at least three soldiers turning their guns on colleagues in the past three months, according to findings.

This alarming trend signals potential systemic problems, including strained facility dynamics, insufficient mental health resources, or rising tensions.
This troubling pattern also raises concerns about potential underlying issues such as low morale, inadequate mental health support or internal conflicts.

The Guardian found that the growing number of cases of soldiers attacking colleagues points to a deep systemic problem within the military that requires thorough and lasting solutions.

The people’s cry underscores the need for immediate action to prevent further escalation and ensure the effectiveness and cohesion of the military. They said that to solve this crisis, the military must urgently address the underlying factors, including personnel welfare and troop morale, through comprehensive reforms.

By prioritizing personnel well-being, morale, and systemic reforms, the military can address the root causes of intramilitary violence, restore discipline and professionalism, and strengthen national security.

Recently, the Defense Headquarters announced that a naval group that killed a personnel in Operation Fansan Yamman will face a military court-martial.
In a statement by the director of the Defense Media Operation, Major General Edward Buba, it is said that the administrative procedure to notify the family of the deceased has already been activated, adding that it is for this reason that the name of the deceased has not been made public.

According to the statement, “on October 24, at around 3.12 pm, a naval personnel, LS Akila A, deployed to FOB Dansadua for Operation Fansan Yamma, under questionable circumstances, opened fire sporadically killing a fellow soldier. He was subsequently arrested, disarmed, detained and an investigation into the case has since begun. After the investigation, the case will be escalated to a permanent court-martial to deal with such an offense among the troops.”

However, this is not an isolated incident. Nigerian Navy qualified ex-seaman Abbas Haruna had a similar blast during Exercise Ayam Akpatuma, a joint DHQ operation.

Addressing the media on the case involving the ex-rating on October 2, 2024, the Acting Director of Defense Intelligence, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, said his act of gross indiscipline was capable of taking the lives of his colleagues.

According to him, “the case involving ex-seaman Abbas Haruna M5759 started when he was found misbehaving during a parade. Specifically, the ex-rating was part of the parade during a Commanding Officer (CO) coordination conference when he was addressing the troops of Exercise Ayam Akpatuma who were preparing for the operation. While the commander was addressing the troops, the ex-rating continuously interrupted the address, which warranted the commander to direct him to report to the guard room. However, the rating refused to comply with the order.

“Thus, the commander ordered his arrest but the ex-rating resisted and expended 16 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition belonging to NN to prevent other soldiers from arresting him. Consequently, an inquiry was conducted and it was recommended that the ex-rating be court-martialed. The ex-rating was eventually tried by a General Court Martial (GCM) from 20 December 2022 to 7 February 2023. In particular, the trial of ex-seaman Abbas Haruna M5759 by the GCM was based on the authority that, as personnel in service he was subject to both military and civil laws.”

Similarly, another sailor, Abdurasheed Mohammed, a sailor, was on August 28, paraded by the FCT Police Command for killing the son of the 18th Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ishaya Ibrahim (rtd) in Maitama District from Abuja.

Also addressing a press conference during the parade of no fewer than 97 suspected terrorists and criminal elements arrested in Abuja, the then Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, now AIG, stated that operatives of the FCT Command in routine stop and search operation on Sunday, August 18, 2024, nabbed Abdulrasheed Muhammed, a Navy sailor in a black Prado SUV.

When contacted, the Nigerian Navy hierarchy said it was aware of the alleged crime committed by one of its personnel against the family of its former Chief of Naval Staff.

The Naval Spokesman, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, in a discussion on the matter, said: “The suspect is a bona fide rating of the Nigerian Navy and has been accused of committing offences. The Navy is aware.”

Adams-Aliu assured that the proper procedure for both military and civilian trials will certainly be followed to first establish a prima facie case and then establish guilt as determined by the competent court.

Recurring incidents of extrajudicial killings and armed robbery involving Nigerian Navy personnel have raised concerns about the service’s recruitment process.

Analysts suggest that loopholes in screening procedures may allow unsuitable candidates to join, leading to persistent deviant behavior among naval ratings.
Major General Abel Umahi (retd), a former General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 81 Division in Lagos, has stressed that firing by mistake on friendly forces with personal weapons is unacceptable and unprofessional. He attributed such incidents to inadequate military training, particularly in the handling of weapons.

The retired general identified inadequate training and poor administration as the root causes of most unprofessional behavior by military personnel.

“Training is no longer as efficient and regular in the three arms of the Nigerian Armed Forces as it used to be. This is because the military is now over-involved in internal security operations because of the overwhelming insecurity situation in Nigeria,” he said, adding: “Perhaps 80 percent of the entire military personnel are simultaneously actively engaged in long-range operations and in width. of the country. The rest are involved in the logistical and administrative support of those in the field.

“Therefore, no troops are available for regular and sustained military training. The effect is the training gap and the consequence is professional misconduct.

“Some soldiers experience depression due to operational stress.”

The retired general highlighted the risks of troop fatigue, warning that relentless redeployments without downtime or family connections could lead to serious behavioral problems such as improper handling of weapons.

His words: “The leadership of the Nigerian Armed Forces should consider this dimension as they continuously look for ways to ensure rewarding troop management.

“To solve these training and management problems, the federal government should approve the massive recruitment of new officers and soldiers into the armed forces.

“Nigeria is at war. Therefore, the most important thing for the government to do is to prioritize security as Nigeria’s most urgent critical need. With empowered security agencies, robust diplomatic and information operations, Nigeria will overcome insecurity in the shortest possible time,” he said.

The National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, attributed the resort to extrajudicial killings by armed security operatives to misguided belief. He said their frequent deployment and authorization to use force against civilians promotes a misconception that wielding weapons in this way is commonplace.

Another root cause, according to Onwubiko, is the poor appreciation of professionalism and lack of discipline among a large number of armed security operatives.

“The solution is to ensure that any member of the armed security forces who commit such criminal acts, such as extrajudicial killings, is made to face the full weight of the law not only in the Marshall court, but also in the regular courts, if the Court’s modus operandi Martial is taking too long to happen.”

“Nigeria must never be allowed to degenerate into a lawless dungeon where might becomes right and therefore armed security operatives are let off the hook even when they are involved in criminal attacks on citizens or even their own colleagues.

“It is not just a problem with the Navy but this kind of indiscipline and unprofessionalism is a general malaise affecting the entire fabric of the Nigerian armed forces and the police and even paramilitary agents are not exempt from this criminality.” Onwbiko said.

Security expert Chukwuka Oji noted that the persistent trend of unauthorized violence is increasingly embarrassing. He stressed that the military must address the underlying problem: a flawed recruitment process.

“The Navy is recruiting people who should not be hired for this job. They recruit those who are not qualified. Those who are ready to work are not recruited but those political thugs their masters use recruitment to establish are employed,” Orji stated.

According to him, “because of the quota system, those who are not qualified are recruited. I think it is flawed for personnel below a certain rank to carry weapons.

“Upon recruitment, the successful candidate should be taught how to use firearms, when to use them and when not to use them. The rule of thumb should be a daily chore. The Navy should try to organize seminars, training and retraining for its personnel.”

He also said, “Authorities should conduct regular drug tests for them. Respect for human rights and the importance of the sanctity of life should be emphasized every day.

“Ultimately, the Navy should reprimand its personnel and deal decisively with any misbehaving personnel to act as a deterrent to others,” Orji said.