Former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to keep secret most military actions and strategies in the fight against terrorism, saying information management is key to confronting an unconventional warfare.
In his Ramadan message, the former military leader said recent Boko Haram attacks have raised concern and anxiety across the country.
According to the former President, military strategy against the insurgents ought to be top priority by the presidency and the Defence Headquarters.
Babangida said: “Events in the last four weeks have continued to raise our adrenaline, in a season of apprehension and utter suspicion, about our security engagements and the sum total of our collective sufferance as a nation.
“The heightened tension is occasioned by renewed hostilities and mindless bombings predominantly by suicide bombers who have decidedly chosen the option of death to life.
“We have seen the worst of human follies in the conduct of these avoidable carnage and bloodletting by unscrupulous persons under the guise of religion, doing havoc to our sense of nationality.
“I expect, with a deep sense of patriotism, to see a greater deal of positive news promoted in support of military efforts at confronting this menace than a celebration of Boko Haram carnage, day in, day out.
“Strategic efforts and initiatives of the military targeted at curtailing the spread of the Boko Haram should remain most often top secret within military hierarchy and the presidency.
“Collaborative efforts should also follow similar patterns so that little or limited information is let loose for the consumption of members of the sect.
“Coordinated efforts by the security agencies should be strengthened and refocused to gain new dimensions towards combating the unwholesome activities of this sect, and when such dimensions are sought and cultivated, they should remain the exclusive preserve of top military brass.
“Information management is very key to confronting an unconventional warfare such as the one under reference, which is further complicated by the unfashionable method of suicide bombings.
“It is a strange dimension to this whole exercise of insurgency and has further compounded our earlier strategies in helping to nip this monster in the bud. “The media, it must be emphasised, has a greater role to play in this information management system where a well defined synergy is encouraged between members of the media and the military hierarchy.
“On a good day, as is often said, the idea of taking some Boko Haram suspects and prisoners to Anambra State should not be public knowledge, if we are truly serious about information management.”
Babangida said although, the media has a greater role to play in the management of information, the type of headlines and lead stories that are promoted in favour of the insurgents could only help to motivate members of the sect rather than demotivate them.
He said President Buhari, as a military officer, understands the import of his “altruistic suggestions.”
He added: “I trust that he will take steps to apply some of them that fit into the mainstream strategies already in place. “The approach has to be a holistic one, well coordinated with full onslaught launched by the day and night to route these insurgents to surrender.”
In a related development, suspected Boko Haram yesterday invaded Hambagtha and Limankara communities in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, killing scores of people.
The terrorists also injured others, after looting foodstuff, including livestock.
Gwoza was declared as an Islamic Caliphate by the group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau last year when his fighters seized the town which is south and about 150kms from Maiduguri, the state capital before it was liberated early this year by troops.
Sources said Gwoza and other surrounding villages, recently repopulated by fleeing residents were attacked by the terrorists on Tuesday.
It was learnt that there was a failed attempted attack by the insurgents on Gwoza town last week. The attack was repelled by the military, with over 50 of the insurgents killed.
It was learnt that Hambagtha, Limankara and surrounding villages were destroyed in the fresh attacks.
Meanwhile, Commanding Officer, 72 Special Forces Battalion, Makurdi, Benue State, Col. Timothy Lagbaja, has said that the battalion has lost 28 soldiers to insurgency in the North East and in Benue State.
Lagbaja told newsmen in Makurdi yesterday that between 2012 and 2015, the battalion lost four officers and eight soldiers to the Tiv/Fulani and Agatu crises in Benue State.
He said the remaining 16 were lost to insurgency in the North East, while many others who sustained varying degrees of injury were either flown abroad or treated in the country.
The commander said the battalion alone had deployed about 500 soldiers to serve in the special security outfit ‘Operation Zenda,’ to maintain internal security in the state.
According to him, the effort is paying off as weapons hitherto in the hands of wrong people have been recovered.
He said the high criminality in the state had been reduced to “few isolated cases of killings.” National Mirror –
