In this report, GEORGE AGBA examines the role played by the military in quelling the furore among security agencies over killing of three police men and two civilians by troops of the Nigerian Army.

It was precisely about this time last year that a Nigerian defence delegation led by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, to a Conference on Global Coalition on Anti-terrorism in the U.S was the toast of Chiefs of Defence Staff from five continents of over 200 countries.



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It was reported that the meeting singled out the Nigerian Armed Forces and the other security and intelligence services for special commendation for significantly combating terrorism and insurgency in the North East.
According to the reports, the immediate former U.S Secretary of State, Mr. Rex Tillerson, while declaring open the conference, praised Nigeria for effectively leading other sub-regional West African nations against terrorism and insurgency.


He extolled Nigeria’s security services for employing synergy, intelligence and information-sharing to achieve meaningful success against Boko Haram.

Now, fast forward to August 6, 2019; the news broke about the killing of three police men and two civilians by troops of the Nigerian Army, an incident otherwise dubbed the Taraba 5. The incident triggered instant national outrage and conversations owing to the initial recriminations, buck-passing and blame game between the Nigerian Police and the Nigerian Army. It occurred in Ibi local government area of Taraba State.

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This orgy of inflamed passion soon fed into already existing divisions and fault-lines created by politicians and disgruntled elements seeking to make huge capital from the rumpus to send wrong signals that all might not be well with the nation’s security architecture.

It all started from Ibi town following an alarm alleging the kidnap of one Alhaji Hamisu Bala (aka Wadume) by some persons in a Hummer bus. Captain Tijani Balarabe informed all military checkpoints along Ibi-Wukari Road. They quickly sprang into action to avoid being caught napping even when the bus mentioned in the distress call was conveying police personnel of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector-General of Police who were said to be on legitimate duty in Taraba Sate.

Military checkpoints in the area were also deployed on legitimate duty by 93 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Takum to curb communal clashes, kidnapping and armed robbery identified as severe security threats to residents of Wukari-Ibi axis.
To any probing mind, how the alleged bus named in the distress call could be conveying police personnel of the IRT of the Inspector-General of Police posed an identity crisis, thereby creating the immediate circumstances that led to the killings at a time when kidnappers are running riot everywhere. The question as to whether the soldiers should have pulled the trigger upon sighting such a high risk bus does not arise because after confronting such criminals, whatever happens thereafter is anybody’s game.

The Nigerian Army had claimed that the soldiers fired at the IRT team because they failed to stop at three checkpoints, but the police dismissed the claim and demanded the whereabouts of the kidnap suspect who they claimed was freed by the rampaging soldiers. Following what was feared as possible reprisals across the country by arms-bearing policemen against unsuspecting soldiers, the military authorities took measures to avert further escalation of hostilities. For example, it ordered the immediate dismantling of two of the three check-points which were named in the incident.

The CDS was also said to have embarked on series of their regular multi-level security chiefs’ meetings involving the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Adamu Abdullahi as well as other medium cadre officers who have direct control on the rank and file. Necessary signals reminding officers of the need to main standard operating procedure were said to have been dispatched to respective commands and formations of the affected security services nationwide.

On his part, Lt Gen Buratai directed troops on internal security duties to be cautious in their dealings with members of the Police Force. He admonished travelling military personnel to always be in mufti to avoid possible confrontations with policemen.
The directive contained in a letter by Brig. Gen. F. Omoigui with reference number AHQDAIOPS/G3/240/232 dated 9 August, 2019 and titled, ‘Need for troops to be circumspect in dealing with members of the Nigeria Police’, reads in part: “Accordingly, all troops on IS (Internal Security) duty as well as personnel travelling in and out of uniform are to be circumspect in their conduct to avoid escalation. Consequently, formations and unit commanders are to educate troops to be cautious in their dealings with members of the NP in view of this development. Consequently, troops travelling on pass are to endeavour to do so in mufti’’.


It was also learnt that the DHQ embarked on behind-the-scene moves mindful of the damaging escalation of the crisis which the unrestrained exchange of arguments and counter-arguments had caused in the media especially social media.
To proactively address the challenge, the acting director of Information at the DHQ, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, arranged a meeting of spokespersons of specific security agencies, especially the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police Force where the CDS was said to have personally addressed and urged them to see their assignments at this critical time in the history of the nation as a major national service in which patriotism, synergy and esprit de corps are vital requirements.
To douse the frayed nerves arising from arguments over the incident was what compelled the swift intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari who directed the CDS to constitute a 7-man joint investigation panel that saw the constitution of the Rear Admiral Ibikunle Taiwo Olaiya-led Board of Inquiry to unravel the circumstances that led to the killings. On the panel were a representative each of the Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Police, Department of State Service and the Defence Intelligence Agency.

The panel reportedly commenced work almost immediately with a firm charge by the CDS, according to inside sources, to be ‘’God-fearing, frank, no-holds-barred and totally guided by justice, fairness, openness, impartiality and overriding national interest’’. It was also gathered that the DHQ and the Nigerian Army, in a bid to mount further pressure to smoke out the fleeing kidnap kingpin, Alhaji Hamisu Bala, aka Wadume, who the police had alleged was freed after its officers were killed, ordered the 93 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Takum to produce him as evidence that its soldiers were not culpable.

“The military will not hesitate to dismiss and court-martial any soldier found to be involved in shady business than allow the reputation of the Army to be toyed with’’, a source was quoted as saying. But not long after the panel commenced its work before the soothing news came that the man in the eye of the storm, Alhaji Hamisu Bala (aka Wadume), had been finally tracked and arrested in Kano and had started singing like a canary. The nation erupted in jubilation.
While it could not be confirmed how useful the panel found Wadume, sources reckoned that the panel went to great length to obtain tons of facts capable of opening new vistas in aid of security agencies in unraveling new theories of criminality especially kidnapping across the country.

This incident, it is alleged, had almost succeeded in giving ammunition to detractors to aim another guided swipe at the authorities on how the personnel of the nation’s security services were working at cross-purposes at the risk of public safety and security. That hope, if anything, may have been dashed for now considering that the appropriate authorities have since embarked on subterranean moves and deft counter-measures to successfully nip the crisis of confidence that may have imploded the security services as a result of Taraba 5.

But a cross-section of observers who examined the aftermath of the sad killings maintained that the sense of dispatch so far demonstrated by the authorities to serve appropriate justice to the culprits had proved to be the best route out of the crisis.
It was no surprise therefore that widespread relief greeted last Tuesday’s public announcement by the DHQ of the panel’s report after weeks of concerns raised in some sections of the media.
In a statement, Colonel Nwachukwu said, “After a thorough and painstaking investigation into the incident, the Board of Inquiry (BOI) submitted its report to the convening authority observing that, there were infractions and poor communication between the personnel of the NPF and troops of the NA. It was also observed that there was non-adherence to the Standard Operating Procedure by both parties involved in the incident. It further made some recommendations to the NA and NPF to forestall future reoccurrence and bring anyone culpable to book in accordance with extant laws.

“The BOI also recommended that the NA and NPF should further investigate Captain Tijani Balarabe, Sergeant Ibrahim Mohammed, Corporal Bartholomew Obanye, DCO Ibi Police Division, Assistant Superintendent of Police Aondoona Iorbee and Inspector Aliyu Dadje for complacency and necessary disciplary measures. It was also recommended that further investigation be conducted on Hamisu Bala for gun-running and possible kidnapping, in order to prosecute the suspect.
“Additionally, the BOI recommended that the services and other security agencies establish an Interagency Liaison Desk to include senior officers for timely resolution of future misdemeamenor. The Defence Headquarters once again assures the public that the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies are working in synergy to tackle contemporary security challenges bedeviling the nation’’.

Officers at the DHQ who spoke unanimously said that the CDS’ meeting with the security services spokespersons was not new to them, noting that such interactions with officers had become one of the high watermarks of his leadership.
According to them, he has so far maintained regular Monday meetings with officers above the rank of colonel and regular monthly meetings with those below the rank of colonel as his own ingenious way of feeling the pulse of the system.
Also reacting to the report, an advocacy group, Concerned Professionals’ Congress (CPC) praised the CDS, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin for acting swiftly on the BOI findings towards delivering appropriate justice to those found to be culpable in the dastardly killings of the Taraba 5.

The group’s chief media strategist, Mr Emeka Nwankpa and its Northern regional rapporteur, Mallam Baba Al-Kasim, in a statement in Abuja at the weekend commended the DHQ leadership for what it described as its ‘’principled, courageous and far-reaching’’ position on the report, particularly the aspect of the report which recommended appropriate sanctions on the erring officers and further investigations into the circumstances that led to the incident.
While restating its commiserations and condolences to the families of the victims, the group urged parties involved in the matter maintain calm until the outcome of further investigations, noting that the incident was another wake-up call to security agencies to observe inter-agency cooperation in their operations.
Nwankpa said, “It is to the credit of the synergy-driven leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin that inter-agency cooperation remains the best means to tackle contemporary security challenges across the country. This is why the CDS has maintained a perfect and regular working relationship with all service chiefs and heads of other security and intelligence agencies.

“You can therefore imagine how this incident has personally challenged the CDS. Officers attest to the fact that he is a stickler for operational discipline, order and inter-agency synergy which he always shares with the top echelon as well as the senior middle cadres of the services. The essence of his current intervention is to ensure that it does not re-occur.
“This perhaps explains why the President dropped the task on his laps trusting that he will resolve it in the overall interest of the system. Though this matter will eventually blow over eventually but it has definitely given sufficient pointers as to why the CDS holds regular meetings with the service chiefs and heads of other security and intelligence agencies. He can even do more’’.
The advocacy group expressed confidence in the capacity of the armed forces under the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin and the service chiefs to guarantee national security and stability in spite of unrelenting threats and challenges in the country.

“The CDS, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin and his energetic team have incredibly changed the dynamics of the fight against insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, armed banditry, oil theft and other criminalities. His synergy-driven leadership and robust collaboration with the service chiefs and other security agencies have galvanized the nation’s entire security architecture to effectively combat emerging national security challenges’’, Nwankpa added.

Culled from Leadership