Izuchukwu Okosi
A security expert Major General Henry Ayoola (rtd) has lend his voice to the growing Insecurity in the northern parts of the country following the recent kidnappings and killings of scores of people in communities in Plateau state.
Terrorist armed men on Sunday, 10 April 2022, killed 80 people and abducted 70 others in the Kukawa, Dungua, Kyaram, Gyambam, Yelwa, Dadda, Wanka, Shuwaka, Gwammadanji and Dasin Kowa communities.
Ayoola was speaking on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Friday monitored by Prime Business Africa.
Ayoola who was the former Commander, Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven in Jos, opined that the terrorists are hell bent on sabotaging the efforts of the government and reiterate that the government is better positioned to to tackle the problem headlong not the military.
“A war is too serious a business to be left in the hands of Generals. Politicians determine wars but the means and ways to execute the wars are left to the Generals. But that’s not the case in Nigeria,” Ayoola told the The Morning Show crew.
“I will say that we need to be careful not to fall into the complex situation we have had. We need to remember that for a while there’s peace in that area.
“The military has been around so they have been trying to get mobilised in the north east, so I can tell you that I’m not holding brief for the current commander, who is also the general commanding officer there.
Speaking on whether the number of military personnel is enough to withstand the ruthless unslaughts terrorist attacks in the troubled region, Ayoola said:.
“I know for a fact that forced have been drawn out so I’m not sure they there are enough men on ground in the northern parts of Plateau state.
“This Local Government Area is one of the most peaceful places on the Plateau, nobody would believe such an attack will happen there, nobody. You don’t solve situations that doesn’t exist when you are depressed in situations like this.
Ayoola stressed that both Indigenes and settlers have never been at war prior to this mindless attack on Sunday.
“It’s an area that where there hasn’t been issue of indigenes and settlers or something like that (being at war).”
“Terrorists are mean. They recently attacked the train in Kaduna. Why did they do that in Kaduna, they were trying to tell you that if they can do that in a city like Kaduna where there’s been heavy presence of the military, that the rest of you are not safe,” Ayoola added.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
