How to Fix Nigeria’s Internal Crisis

Fri, Jun 19, 2015 | By publisher


Editorial Suite

INTERNAL security crisis is not new to Nigeria. It predates the country’s independence. But each time, violent crisis erupts the military is often deployed to quell it professionally. But it has not stopped a recurrence.  From the Aba Women Riot of 1929, Tiv riots of 1960-63, western region crisis, the civil war (1967-1970), the Maitasine religious riots in the 1980s to the present Boko Haram insurgency, groups have always made demands with violence threatening the corporate existence of the country.

In all these turmoil the Nigerian State has always lived up to its responsibility by employing the instruments of state power to regain control and restore law and order. According to Lt Col K.O Ukandu of the Department of Land Warfare, “The Nigerian Armed Forces has been ubiquitous during the period of breakdown of law and order when the Nigeria Police, NP, have been overwhelmed. The Nigerian Army, NA, in particular, has borne the responsibility of restoring law and order more, being the land force. The NA has always secured the area of conflict with professionalism. The military conducts what is termed internal security, IS, operations to restore normalcy. IS operations are activities undertaken by the military in aid of civil authority to restore law and order and maintain essential services. However, violent internal conflict still resurfaces. Several lives lost and property worth millions destroyed and the NA is called upon to restore normalcy.”

These have been attributed to the fact that once the Armed Forces restored normalcy, government departments (in charge of other instruments of national power like culture, judiciary, and politics and economy) do not contribute to the necessary long term recovery process with regard to a particular crisis, Ukandu said. According to him, it has been rightly noted that IS crisis requires both legislative, political, judicial and socio- economic measures to solve in addition to the military contribution.

Since the new government assumed office on May 29, there is no doubt that President Muhammadu Buhari wants to end the insurgency in the country.  This is imperative as ensuring security of life and property is a major priority of his government. In our bid to assist in finding lasting solutions to the internal security challenges in the country, Realnews searched and got exclusive security documents that can help fix the internal crisis. Based on these, we did our cover story for this week entitled:  Exclusive: Panacea for Nigeria’s Security Nightmares”. It was written by Maureen Chigbo, our editor. Enjoy it.


May we also use this opportunity to wish our Muslim brethren Ramadan Kareem.  God bless you all and Nigeria throughout the season and beyond.

Maureen Chigbo

Editor

Email: mechigbo@yahoo.com  |  mechigbo@realnewsmagazine.net  |  mechigbo@gmail.com

Tel: +234 8033487603, 08052528603

— Jun 29, 2015 @ 01:00 GMT

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